UnitedHealthcare to drop prior authorization for 30% of services by 2026

UnitedHealthcare will eliminate prior authorization for about 30% of medical services that previously required insurer approval, including select outpatient surgeries, certain diagnostic tests (e.g., echocardiograms), some outpatient therapies, and some chiropractic care, with the change to take effect by the end of 2026. The company notes that prior authorization currently applies to about 2% of services and 92% are approved within 24 hours, while critics say the process creates administrative burdens and delays care; the move aligns with broader industry pressure to streamline authorization across insurers.