One year after the Trump administration announced that dozens of health insurers had signed a six-part pledge promising to reduce barriers to doctor-recommended care, some insurers now say they won't implement all the promised initiatives.
Meanwhile, patients, their advocates, and clinicians say little has improved.
"It has never been this bad for patients," said U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), a physician who co-chairs the GOP Doctors Caucus.
The overarching intent of the June 2025 pledge was to improve the controversial process called prior authorization.
According to AHIP, the health insurance industry trade group, health plans have eliminated 6.5 million prior authorizations for patients -- equal to an 11% reduction -- since the announcement.
