Matt Sherer, Director of Oncology Service Line at UMC Health System, shared on LinkedIn:
“Prior Authorization Is an Access Problem.
Prior authorization is often discussed as a payer issue. Oncology leaders should manage it as an access issue.
In cancer care, time is not neutral. Every delay impacts patient anxiety, treatment start timelines, provider capacity, staff burnout, financial performance, and trust in the care system.
The best programs don’t just complain about prior authorization. They measure it.
They know:
- Time from order to authorization
- Denial patterns by payer
- Peer-to-peer volume
- Rework hours
- Treatment delay impact
- Financial exposure
Prior authorization is not just a back-office problem. It is one of the clearest examples of how administrative friction becomes a clinical, operational, and strategic risk.
Takeaway:
If you want to improve access, measure every barrier between diagnosis and treatment.”
Other articles featuring Matt Sherer on OncoDaily.