No matter the political aisle you reside on, it’s obvious that America’s healthcare system could use some major improvements. From long wait times at the doctor’s office to headaches while dealing with health insurers, it’s crucial that the U.S. polish quite a few things out with how healthcare is run in this country.
President Donald Trump and his administration realize this. During his first term, Trump worked to make prices more transparent on medical bills. In his second term, he and his administration have so far made efforts to reduce the costs of pharmaceutical drugs. And now, he’s gotten a major pledge from health insurers to slash bureaucracy in order to help improve the quality of care that Americans receive.
Health Insurers Unite to Streamline Patient Care by Tackling Prior-Authorization Delays
Approximately 75% of the nation’s health insurance providers have embraced a voluntary pledge to overhaul the cumbersome prior-authorization process. Announced on Monday by Dr. Mehmet Oz, Director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services Secretary, this initiative promises to cut through bureaucratic red tape that has long hindered timely medical treatment.
“The pledge is not a mandate. It’s not a bill, a rule. This is not legislated. This is a opportunity for industry to show itself,” Oz declared during the press conference. “But by the fact that three-quarters of the patients in the country are already covered by participants in this pledge, it’s a good start and the response has been overwhelming.”
Prior-authorization, a mechanism requiring healthcare providers to secure insurer approval before delivering specific treatments or services, aims to ensure patients receive appropriate care for their conditions. However, this process has drawn criticism for creating significant delays and administrative burdens. Oz highlighted that physicians spend an average of 12 hours per week navigating these requirements, handling around 40 cases weekly.
“It frustrates doctors. It sometimes results in care that is significantly delayed. It erodes public trust in the healthcare system. It’s something we can’t tolerate,” Oz emphasized.
In a press conference hosted today, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced a landmark agreement with the nation’s largest health insurers to tackle the number one healthcare problem plaguing hundreds of millions of Americans: prior… pic.twitter.com/liRr4LLsnu
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) June 23, 2025
Major insurers, including United Healthcare, Cigna, Humana, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, and Aetna, have joined this effort. While the initiative prioritizes patient care, it may impact insurers’ bottom lines if patients seek treatment more frequently due to streamlined processes.
The pledge outlines several key commitments. By January 1, 2027, insurers aim to establish a standardized electronic prior-authorization process with uniform submission requirements to expedite approvals. Additionally, starting January 1, 2026, insurers will reduce their reliance on prior-authorization for certain medical services. For patients switching plans mid-treatment, new insurers must honor existing prior-authorization approvals for 90 days to ensure continuity of care.
Transparency is another cornerstone of the agreement. Participating health plans will provide clear, accessible explanations of prior-authorization decisions, including straightforward guidance for appeals. By 2027, insurers commit to delivering 80% of electronic prior-authorization approvals in real-time, further reducing delays.
In a poignant analogy, Oz likened the initiative to a biblical principle: “The meek shall inherit the earth. I always grew up thinking ‘meek’ meant weak, but that’s not what meek means.”
“‘Meek’ means you have a sharp sword, a sword that could do real damage to people around you, but you decide, electively, to sheathe that sword and put it away for a while, so you can do goods, so you can do important things where once in a while we have to get together, even if we’re competitors, and agree,” Oz elaborated.
“That’s what these insurance companies and hospital systems have done,” he stated. “They have agreed to sheathe their swords to be meek for a while, to come up with a better solution to a problem that plagues us all.”
Do you think the healthcare system could benefit from the changes that the Trump administration is implementing? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
