Have you ever walked into the pharmacy and been told that your prescription requires a prior authorization? But your healthcare professional prescribed something for you, and you brought in your prescription — shouldn’t that be enough? What exactly is a prior authorization, and why can’t you just pick up your prescription?
GoodRx, a platform for medication savings, shares what you need to know about the prior authorization process.
Key takeaways:
Prior authorization is an approval of coverage from your insurance company — not your healthcare professional. It’s a restriction put in place to determine whether or not they will pay for certain medications. Many people casually refer to it as a PA.
A prior authorization doesn’t affect cash payment for prescriptions. Plus, it’s only required on those prescriptions when billed through insurance. So if you’re uninsured or decide to pay in cash, you won’t need to worry about getting prior authorization.
Insurance companies will most likely require prior authorizations for the following products:
In many cases, prior authorizations are intended to ensure medication use is appropriate and cost-effective. If you think your prescription may require a prior authorization, contact your insurer directly to confirm.
If your medication requires a prior authorization, the pharmacy will notify the healthcare professional who wrote the prescription. Your prescriber will proceed to give the necessary coverage information to your insurance company. Your insurer will then decide whether or not to cover your medicine.
Keep in mind: If you’re approved, a prior authorization only lasts for a set period of time. A prior authorization can expire. You will likely have to re-apply again for future fills once this happens.
There’s no set timeframe for how long a prior authorization for medication typically takes.
Many prior authorization requests are processed in one to three business days, especially for standard medications with properly completed paperwork. Some insurance companies may take up to five to seven days as part of their normal process. Urgent requests — like those for serious or life-threatening conditions — may be reviewed within a day. But for complex or specialty medications, it can end up taking a few weeks, especially if more information is needed or if an appeal is involved after a denial.
The time it takes to process a prior authorization can vary for several reasons. Here are some of the most common ones:
Unfortunately, your insurer may deny your prior authorization request. If this happens, you may be left on the hook for the full out-of-pocket price of your medication.
If you believe that your prior authorization was incorrectly denied, submit an appeal. Appeals are the most successful when your prescriber deems your treatment is medically necessary or there was a clerical error leading to your coverage denial. One of the best ways to build your appeal case is to get your healthcare professional’s input. Ask them about any backup documentation or medical notes that could help prove your prescription is medically necessary.
If that doesn’t work, your prescriber may still be able to help you. Some tricks to help you save include:
Additionally, if you’re filling an expensive brand-only medication, look for any manufacturer copay cards, patient assistance programs, and other coupons that can help you save. And don’t forget to shop around.
You may be able to speed up the process by speaking with your insurer directly. In some cases, you may be able to submit an urgent request for a faster decision.
If you need your medication urgently, some pharmacies may let you purchase your prescription with a credit card as you wait for prior authorization and reimburse you if your authorization is approved within a week. While you’re taking a risk, if you received prior authorization for the same drug in the past, it’s likely that it will be approved again.
Why does my insurance need to approve a prescription?
Insurance companies use prior authorizations to make sure a medication is a safe, effective, and appropriate option for your condition. It’s a way to confirm that the treatment is medically necessary and helps avoid unnecessary costs. In some cases, your insurance may want you to try a lower-cost alternative before covering a brand-name, non-preferred, and/or specialty product. Prior authorizations can also help prevent misuse or overuse of certain medications. Overall, it’s one of the ways insurers try to balance quality care with cost.
Why is my prior authorization taking so long?
Prior authorizations can take time because your prescriber has to submit paperwork and your insurance company needs time to review it. This process can take a few days — or even longer — especially if your insurer asks for more information or doesn’t classify the request as urgent. Delays can also happen when there’s a high volume of requests or when the process isn’t fully electronic. If you need the medication quickly, you or your prescriber can ask for an urgent request to help speed things up.
Your insurance company may require a prior authorization before covering your prescription. This is done in some cases to make sure that a medication is appropriate for your care. It also helps to make sure it’s the most cost-effective option. There’s no set answer to how long a prior authorization typically takes for medication; it can range from a couple of days to a few weeks.
If you don’t get approval, you may be responsible for the cost of the medication, but you can appeal the decision. Your pharmacist may also know some tips to help make the medication more affordable for you, such as connecting you to manufacturer copay cards, patient assistance programs, or other discounts.
This story was produced by GoodRx and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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