Grassroots Spotlight: WHA Discusses Regulatory, Insurer Burden with Rep. Gallagher Staff
On Aug. 16, leaders from Bellin Health and HSHS Wisconsin joined WHA for a discussion with the office of Congressman Mike Gallagher about unnecessary government regulations and insurance hurdles that add to clinician burden and detract from patient care.
The discussion centered around the heavy burden that prior authorization plays and the unnecessary delays and barriers it presents for patient care. This is especially problematic given that the vast majority of services required to be submitted for prior authorization are ultimately approved and the process takes an undue amount of clinician time—time that would be better spent focused on patient care. These wasted resources ironically end up adding to the cost of health care despite insurers' stated goal of using them to control unnecessary utilization and costs.
From left to right: Chris Elfner, Bellin Health VP, Clinically Integrated Network; David Brooker, Rep. Gallagher District Director; Dan Butler, Rep. Gallagher Senior Legislative Assistant; David Lally, HSHS WI Director of Community Health & Advocacy; and Jon Hoelter, WHA VP, Federal & State Relations. Not pictured but also joining the discussion were Ken Nelson, HSHS St. Vincent Chief Nursing Officer and Patricia Allen, HSHS WI Chief Financial Officer.
The participants thanked Gallagher's staff for the Congressman's support of the Improving Seniors Access to Timely Care, legislation that would improve the prior authorization process for Medicare Advantage plans (
see this recent Valued Voice article for more details). Rep. Gallagher was unable to join himself as he and his wife
just announced the birth of their second child.
Contact WHA Vice President of Federal and State Relations
Jon Hoelter with questions.