New AHA Report Highlights Commercial Health Plan Abuses that Restrict Coverage, Increase Clinician Burnout

A new analysis prepared by the AHA and released today highlights commercial health insurance practices that contribute to burnout in the clinical workforce and make it more difficult for some Americans to access the care they need. While these findings pre-date the COVID-19 public health emergency, the need to resolve them has become increasingly urgent as staff shortages have reached their highest level to date during the pandemic.

The report highlights the adverse impact of the rise in prior authorization and inappropriate reimbursement delays and denials. In addition, prior authorization is one of the practices most frequently cited by clinicians as contributing to burnout.

“Hospitals and health systems face severe staffing shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot afford commercial health plan abuses that deny medically necessary treatment to patients and increase clinician burnout on top of that,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “Caregivers need immediate relief from these excessive burdens so they can focus their attention where it is needed most: caring for patients and saving lives.”

The report identifies a number of solutions at the national level to improve oversight and help build a health system that better serves patients and protects clinicians from burdensome health insurance practices that take them away from patient care.

To view the full report, click here.