More and more, patients are reporting an increasing number of care denials and new prior authorization requirements-- all of which are delaying the treatment they need. For the millions of people managing chronic disease, one answer is clear: the ability to get the treatment your doctor prescribes, when you need it.

Prior authorization was designed to check on unnecessary care, but it has become something else entirely. Today, patients routinely wait days or weeks for insurance approval before they can start a medication their doctor has already determined they need. Many give up and go without. Some end up sicker, in the emergency room, or worse.

A January 2026 KFF poll found that prior authorization is now the single biggest non-cost barrier to healthcare for insured Americans — and among people with chronic conditions, it ranks as the top obstacle by a factor of two to one over every other issue.

Patients and doctors agree on this. Republicans and Democrats agree on this. The bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (most recently reintroduced in May 2025 as H.R. 3514 and S. 1816) has drawn support from more than 248 House co-sponsors and 64 senators, and yet it has never passed. States also have a great deal of regulatory authority over prior authorization issues.

Take 2 minutes right now to send a letter to your state and federal representatives.

Your experience navigating prior authorization helps lawmakers understand what this process looks like in real life — not as a line item in an insurer’s annual report, but as a barrier between you and the care you need to live.

We invite you to take action and help ensure that treatment decisions stay between patients and their doctors.