UnitedHealthcare cuts – UnitedHealthcare says it will reduce two-thirds of prior authorization requirements for the children it covers by the end of 2026, targeting diagnostic services, routine surgeries, and specialty care such as cardiology and orthopedics. The insurer also plans “
A mother or father trying to get a child the right care can run into a familiar obstacle: a request reviewed before a doctor can even bill. On May 29. UnitedHealthcare moved to change that for many families. saying it will cut down two-thirds of prior approval requirements for children it covers by the end of 2026.
The insurer’s plan targets red tape that has long frustrated doctors and patients. Among the prior authorizations UnitedHealthcare said it would reduce or cut are some diagnostic services, routine surgical procedures, and specialty care including cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, and orthopedics.
UnitedHealthcare framed the shift as part of an effort it announced on May 5 to eliminate prior-approval requirements for 30% of health care services, citing complaints that administrative tasks delay or deny care.
Prior authorizations work this way: an insurer reviews a request before letting doctors or other medical providers bill for health care services or prescriptions. Doctors have criticized the process for routinely delaying or denying care.
UnitedHealthcare said it will also use “authorization waivers” for some procedures at some pediatric hospitals. The company said the waivers will be based on children’s hospitals’ “consistent use of well-established care practices.” In a news release. it did not name which hospitals would qualify. but said they are part of a “broad network of nationally recognized pediatric centers spanning medical and surgical specialties.”.
Not all pediatric care would be covered. UnitedHealthcare said it would eliminate pre-approval requirements for other children’s services such as some diagnostic imaging. sleep studies. and routine non-hospital testing. At the same time, the insurer said it will maintain pre-approval requirements for complex care and experimental treatments.
The changes apply to people covered by UnitedHealthcare’s private insurance and Medicaid, including the federal-state health care program for low income families and some with disabilities.
Bigger picture: UnitedHealthcare is not the only major insurer taking steps in this direction. Large insurers including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente, and Humana have vowed to reduce prior authorizations. UnitedHealthcare also said it would extend similar efforts beyond pediatric care. cutting down prior authorizations on some outpatient operations. diagnostic tests such as echocardiograms. outpatient therapies. and chiropractic care by the end of 2026.
The sequence of decisions has a clear dividing line: fewer approvals for many day-to-day pediatric needs, paired with continued scrutiny for complex and experimental care. For families, that difference may determine whether the next request moves quickly—or waits.
In Minnesota, funding cuts to Medicare would also have an impact on residents, with UnitedHealth primarily pulling back in the southern part of the state. The details of that Medicare funding shift were described as part of coverage by FOX 9’s Mike Manzoni.
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