“Following similar actions by Cigna and Anthem, Aetna has announced it will do away with requirements that force doctors to get approval from the insurer before prescribing medications to treat opioid addiction. Medication-assisted therapies (MATs) like suboxone and buprenorphine can be prescribed by physicians to treat the symptoms of withdrawal when a patient stops taking opioids. However, the prior authorization requirements compel doctors to fill out forms and wait hours or even days for approval before they can prescribe the medications. This causes delays during a crucial window for patients seeking help. As such, these rules have become an easy target for policy makers seeking solutions to help quell the current opioid epidemic.”
Read more at: http://www.ajmc.com/newsroom/aetna-becomes-latest-insurer-to-end-prior-authorization-for-opioid-treatment
Source: The American Journal of Managed Care– February 16, 2017
