BCBSM missed 1 health care reform prob: Insurance companies

In response to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan CEO's op-ed regarding the causes of rising health care costs and the need to reform the system, she makes many good points, but ignores some other important causes, mainly insurance providers themselves.

As a health care provider myself, dealing with prior authorizations for drugs and procedures is cumbersome. Prior authorizations, in practice, amount to medical decision making by non-providers. BCBSM CEO pens op-ed: Health care costs are rising. We need to reform the system.

They add onerous paperwork, consume a lot of the provider's time and delay care for patients. It should be noted that studies peg the rate of approval of prior authorizations between 83 % and 99 %, depending upon the specialty and procedure. Prior authorizat