Traditional Medicare adding prior authorization requirements in Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A new Medicare pilot program, the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model, is set to launch next year in Ohio and five other states, potentially changing how older Americans access certain medical treatments.

The initiative has drawn sharp criticism from physicians and patient advocates over its use of prior authorization and artificial intelligence to review claims.

Here are the five takeaways from the original article , written by health reporter Julie Washington.

1. A new prior authorization hurdle for traditional Medicare

The Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction Model, scheduled to begin in January, will introduce prior authorization requirements for about a dozen procedures for patients enrolled in traditional Medicare.

This marks a