Blue Cross/Blue Shield Of Vermont Now Using "Prior Authorization" As Evil Tactic; Nationwide Problem
A scheme by health insurers to deny coverage and medication to patients via bureaucracy has hit Vermont with a vengeance. My health insurer just caught me up in a type of trap I never knew existed until now. It's called prior authorization, and it is a Byzantine, maddening way for health insurers to deny coverage of important, sometimes life-saving medical procedures and prescriptions. Prior authorization is evil. It's dangerous. It is being done more and more by "health" insurers nationwide. And ot's hit Vermont with a vengeance this month. Essentially, it's the insurance industry trying to make medical decision for patients they've never met. That is, instead of letting physicians who have actually physically examined and worked with these patients do that crucial work. This rising tide of prior authorization denials of medical services has been known to cause poorer outcomes, permanent injury to patients, even extra deaths. ...