On July 27, Reps. Michael Burgess, MD, (R-Texas) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) introduced the Getting Over Lengthy Delays in Care As Required by Doctors (GOLD CARD) Act (H.R. 4968). This bipartisan bill would exempt providers from prior authorization requirements in the Medicare Advantage program for one year if at least 90% of prior authorization requests in the preceding year are approved. The AANS and the CNS endorsed the legislation.
AANS/CNS Washington Committee chair Russell R. Lonser, MD, FAANS, was featured in Rep. Burgess’ press release:
Our patients cannot afford to wait or jump through unnecessary hoops to get care for painful, debilitating and life-threatening neurologic conditions. The GOLD CARD Act is a commonsense approach to addressing the unnecessary burdens and delays caused by the widespread use of prior authorization, and America’s neurosurgeons thank Reps. Burgess and Gonzalez for introducing legislation to expedite this process so our nation’s seniors get timely access to care.
In reporting on the GOLD CARD Act, Medical Economics published an article that included Dr. Lonser’s comments.
