Topic
health insurance
Step Therapy, Explained: Why Insurers Make You 'Fail First'
Four in ten drug policies require patients to fail on a cheaper medication first. A wave of 2026 state laws is starting to cap how long that can take.
What Is a 'Gold Card'? The Rule That Skips Prior Authorization
A growing number of states let doctors with strong approval records skip prior authorization entirely. Here's how 'gold carding' works, and its limits.
Why Prior Authorization Still Takes So Long, Even After Reform Pledges
A year after roughly 60 insurers pledged to streamline prior authorization, a new AMA physician survey shows the process is still slow, still denied often, and still eroding trust.