Join the physician letter asking for a prior auth hearing February 2, 2023

Sign the letter

MSDC is again pushing for the DC Council to hold a hearing on legislation to reform prior authorization, in line with recommendations made by the American Medical Association and other national healthcare groups. Last year, Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced this bill, and we have heard another bill may be introduced soon.

Without a hearing, the prior auth legislation cannot move forward for consideration by the Council. A hearing is also an opportunity by the Council to hear how and why prior auth is a burden to local practices. While MSDC has reams of data on national impact, the local impact moves the needle.

Just like last summer, we are asking you to join a physician sign-on letter asking for a hearing on potential legislation. Our hope is that if the bill drops shortly the letter can be used to show the urgency for a hearing.

Use this link to join our letter - the deadline is Tuesday, February 7.

The letter text is below. If you have any questions about prior auth or how to get involved, contact Robert Hay Jr at hay@msdc.org or 2O2-466-18OO.

February 7, 2023

The Honorable Christina Henderson
Chair, Committee on Health
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington DC 20004

Dear Chair Henderson,

We, the undersigned physicians and healthcare professionals, urge you to hold a hearing on prior authorization legislation before the Council recess this summer.

According to a recent Axios article, 40 states are considering legislation to reform prior authorization practices. The Mayor’s Healthcare Workforce Task Force includes a draft recommendation to reform the practice to prevent healthcare worker burnout and improve retention. Nationally, the movement is to reform a practice that harms patients and hinders care, and the District needs to be a part of this movement.

A recent American Medical Association (AMA) physician survey on prior auth showed that 93% of physicians report care delays because of prior authorization. The same survey showed that physician offices spend 13 hours each week (almost two business days) dedicated to prior auth paperwork.

These delays impact our residents and patients daily, leading many to wait unnecessarily for their treatments or choose to abandon them altogether.

We ask you to hold a hearing on this bill because you and your colleagues need to hear our stories about how prior authorizations negatively impact physicians across the District. We look forward to continuing to share our stories and working with your office to pass this legislation in 2023.

Sincerely,