ST. PAUL – State Rep. Tony Albright (R-Prior Lake) has introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure quality patient care and time- and cost-saving measures for physicians in prior authorization of prescription medications. Albright was joined by Senate author Melissa Franzen (D-Edina), and representatives from the Minnesota Medical Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness – Minnesota, and the Minnesota Arthritis Foundation in a press conference this morning to discuss the bill and its impacts on the medical community, insurance providers, and patients.
“Current statutes surrounding prior authorization of medical services or prescription products has been a perennial concern for all stakeholders in the medical community, from physicians to patients,” noted Albright. “It is estimated that the current process for authorization costs our Minnesota physicians thousands of hours and nearly $65,000 per physicians annually. The cost on patients is pronounced, often leading to gaps in prescription coverage which causes negative impacts on patient health and livelihood.
My bill ensures that patients are effectively served by streamlining the prior authorization process and increases clarity as well as transparency of the process, so that we can ensure that physicians can effectively serve their patients without gaps in prescription medication coverage.”
HF1060 is awaiting a committee hearing.