A Caregiver's Prior Auth Experience and What Can Be Done to Improve the Experience

Published: March 26, 2021, 1 p.m.

I know that many doctor like to complain about clicks, but something they hate even more than clicks is prior auths (prior authorizations).  I’ve heard so many doctors complain about how much time they spend on the phone dealing with prior authorizations.  While it’s bad for doctors, many times it’s just as bad for patients.  

I recently had a chance to talk with Tonia C, mother and caregiver to an amazing boy who was diagnosed with alopecia.  She shared her experience as a parent and caregiver when she bumped into the issue of prior authorizations at the pharmacy.  Her story really highlighted the challenges patients face with prior auths.  

Along with Tonia, we also had Miranda Gill MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Senior Director, Provider Services & Operations at CoverMyMeds, join us for the interview to talk about why these bad experiences happen for people like Tonia and what can be done about them.  Miranda shares what’s holding back prior authorization and talks about progress towards prospective ePA (prior auth at the point of prescribing) vs retrospective ePA (after claim rejection at the pharmacy).  

Learn more about CoverMyMeds: https://www.covermymeds.com/ 

Find more great health IT content: https://www.healthcareittoday.com/