UnitedHealthcare is dropping prior approval requirements for 1,700 treatments in October

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The nation's largest health insurer said the change, taking effect Oct. 1, is part of a commitment to cut prior authorization volume by 30% by year-end

UnitedHealthcare announced Tuesday that 1,700 diagnostic codes tied to treatments and procedures will no longer require prior authorization, effective October 1. The move applies across the company's commercial plans, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and individual insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Covered under the change are services across a wide range of clinical areas, including cardiology, genetic and laboratory testing, durable medical equipment, chiropractic care, physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, orthopedic and musculoskeletal procedures, home health services, and site-of-service reviews.

UnitedHealthcare, which provides coverage for more than 48 million Americans, said the changes are intended to cut paperwork, simplify information for patients, and give providers more time to focus on care. In a statement, the company said: "These latest actions are part of that work. They are designed to reduce unnecessary paperwork, make information easier to understand and help patients and care providers spend more time focused on care."

The announcement is part of a commitment UnitedHealthcare made earlier this year to eliminate prior authorization requirements for 30% of healthcare services by the end of 2026. At the time, the company said pre-authorization touches roughly 2% of its total claims — a small share that still amounts to millions of reviews annually — and that it approves about 92% of those requests, typically within 24 hours. UnitedHealthcare CEO Tim Noel said the shift allows the company to identify outlier providers through data analysis and address concerns directly, rather than applying blanket approval requirements across entire procedure categories.

UnitedHealthcare also said it will launch a rural prior authorization waiver program on November 1 that reduces administrative requirements for eligible rural hospitals and affiliated providers. The company is also moving to speed up payments by as much as 50% for roughly 1,400 rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals during the third quarter.

The insurer is not acting in isolation. Health insurers broadly have faced pressure from patients, physicians, lawmakers, and regulators to reduce prior authorization burdens. According to Forbes, a recent KFF analysis found that denial rates for prior authorization requests last year ranged from 12% to 18% among people enrolled in Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, or ACA individual coverage. Since a coordinated industry reform effort began in 2025, insurers have collectively removed 6.5 million prior authorization reviews, a reduction of 11%, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

UnitedHealthcare is a unit of UnitedHealth $UNH Group.

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