Most medical groups have seen an increase in prior authorization requirements since last year, according to polling from the Medical Group Management Association.
The association conducted the poll May 18, and received 716 applicable responses. Eighty-one percent said payer prior authorization requirements increased, 17 percent said authorizations "stayed the same" and 2 percent said they decreased.
The poll also found that some healthcare leaders added full-time positions to handle prior authorization work in the last year. Girard Bullaro, administrator of McKinney, Texas-based Wellness ASC told Becker's ASC Review that hiring a prior authorization specialist helped the center attain 100 percent compliance.
"Margins are always going to be tight, and it's worth the extra cost of an additional person," he said. "It more than pays for itself."