UnitedHealth institutes gold card program to address prior authorization concerns (Fierce Healthcare)

UnitedHealthcare will launch a national program on October 1, allowing physicians to bypass traditional prior authorization requirements. The Gold Card program applies to commercial, individual exchange, and Medicare Advantage plans, enabling qualified practices to submit simple advance notifications instead of prior authorization requests. Practices must have a 92% approval rate for prior authorizations over two consecutive years to be eligible. The program aims to streamline the healthcare experience, though UnitedHealthcare did not comment on potential increases in post-procedure denials.