Prior authorization can create barriers for patients across many areas of care. Whether it involves medications, imaging, procedures, or specialty treatment, patients can be left waiting while physicians and clinical staff navigate insurer requirements. These delays can prolong uncertainty, interrupt treatment plans, and create additional stress for patients and families who are already dealing with illness.

We are calling on Missouri lawmakers to reintroduce and pass prior authorization reforms similar to those contained in HB 3010 during the 2027 legislative session. HB 3010 proposed a targeted approach rather than eliminating prior authorization altogether. Beginning in 2027, a provider generally would not have been required to obtain prior authorization for a service if at least 90% of that provider’s prior authorization requests for that service had been approved or would have been approved during the preceding evaluation period. The bill also preserved insurer oversight through audits and allowed exemptions to be revoked if approval rates fell below the required threshold.

The need for reform is supported by national physician data. In the American Medical Association’s 2025 survey of 1,000 practicing physicians, 95% reported that prior authorization delays access to necessary care, 79% reported that patients sometimes abandon treatment because of authorization challenges, and 26% reported that prior authorization had resulted in a serious adverse event for a patient in their care. Physicians and their staff also reported spending an average of approximately 13 hours each week completing prior authorizations.

Missouri has already shown substantial support for addressing this problem. HB 3010 advanced through the Missouri House before reaching the Senate, where it received a public hearing but did not ultimately complete the legislative process. The Missouri Hospital Association also identified prior authorization reform as a 2026 legislative priority, citing delays in necessary care, disruptions in treatment, and burdens on patients and providers.

Reforms like HB 3010 would not eliminate insurer oversight. Instead, they would reduce repetitive authorization requirements when a provider has already demonstrated a consistently high approval rate, while maintaining safeguards for review and accountability. That could mean fewer delays for patients, less unnecessary administrative work for health care teams, and more time focused directly on patient care.

By signing this petition, you are asking Missouri lawmakers to revisit prior authorization reform in 2027 and build on the work already done through HB 3010. Patients should not have to face avoidable delays and uncertainty when their physicians have already determined that a treatment or service is medically appropriate.