Insurers End Policies Requiring Prior Authorization for Opioid Use Disorder

Movement is being made to end prior authorization policies that delay or deny care for substance abuse disorders. Insurers Anthem and Cigna discontinued policies that require preauthorization for opioid use disorder treatments, following a settlement with New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman.^1,2

In February 2017, the American Medical Association (AMA) urged other state attorneys general to help end insurance company policies that delay or deny care for substance use disorders.³

In addition, the AMA called on all payers “to end policies that require patients to repeat step therapy protocols or retry therapies failed under other benefit plans before qualifying for coverage of a current effective therapy for substance use disorders.”