Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios
The hospital group Coalition to Strengthen America's Healthcare is launching a seven-figure ad campaign this week hitting insurers over care delays and the prior authorization process.
Why it matters: The move escalates a long-running clash between providers and insurers and comes as Congress is considering an overhaul of pre-treatment approvals in Medicare Advantage.
Driving the news: The initial ad states that "corporate health insurers make it harder for you to receive the care you need," while hospitals are "here every hour of every day."
- Hospitals also point to the use of technology, including AI, to deny claims.
Between the lines: This particular ad does not specifically mention site-neutral policies, but it amounts to positive hospital messaging at a time when lawmakers in both parties and policy experts are advocating cuts to certain Medicare payments for health systems.
The other side: Insurers argue that prior authorization helps keeps health care costs down and weeds out low-value care that doesn't actually help patients.
What's next: There is bipartisan legislation in Congress to overhaul prior authorization. Backers have been working to bring the cost down from a previous version.
