Prior authorization delays force physicians to spend 16+ hours/week on paperwork instead of patients

Physicians complete an average of 43 prior authorizations per week, spending over 16 hours filling out forms, waiting on hold, and appealing denials — time that could be spent treating patients. So what? 93% of physicians report that prior authorization delays patient care, meaning patients with conditions like cancer or autoimmune diseases wait days or weeks for approved treatments while their conditions worsen. So what? Nearly one in four physicians report that prior authorization has directly led to a serious adverse event — hospitalization, permanent impairment, or death — for a patient in their care. So what? 89% of physicians say prior authorization contributes to burnout, accelerating the physician shortage crisis that already leaves rural and underserved communities without adequate care. So what? 58% of insured adults who needed specialized care experienced a delay or denial, eroding trust in the entire insurance system and causing patients to skip needed care entirely. This persists structurally because insurers use prior authorization as a cost-control lever — every denied or delayed claim saves the payer money in the short term, creating a perverse incentive to maximize friction even though 2026 regulations now require 72-hour urgent response times.