Insurers promised to ease a major patient pain point after executive’s murder. Here’s what’s happened

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s shooting last year shone a spotlight on the longstanding and controversial practice of prior authorization, which requires insurers to approve care in advance. Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty Images/File

A year ago, the fatal shooting of a health insurance executive on a Manhattan sidewalk unleashed many Americans’ pent-up frustration with insurers’ delays and denials of care.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s shooting shone a spotlight on the longstanding and controversial practice of prior authorization, which requires insurers to approve care in advance. They say prior authorization is needed to help ensure that doctors provide safe, appropriate and affordable care. But providers and patients counter that such requirements are overly b