Prior authorization transparency and reporting

Beginning in 2026, new federal rules require health plans to publicly share key information about their prior authorization processes and metrics. These changes are designed to give you clearer insight into how decisions are made and how quickly requests are reviewed—so you can make more informed choices about your care.

Prior authorization metrics for medical items and services (excluding drugs) for 2025

The data in the reports below show which medical services require prior authorization; how many requests are approved or denied; and response and review times for standard and expedited requests.*

Standard (non-urgent) Prior Authorization Requests

 

How many times this happened Out of total appeals  Percentage
Request approved      
Request denied      

 

How many times this happened Out of total appeals  Percentage
Request approved within 7 days      
Request denied within 7 days      

 

How many times this happened Out of total appeals  Percentage
Request approved only after time for review was extended      
Request denied after time for review was extended      

 

How many times this happened Out of total appeals  Percentage
Request approved only after appeal      
Request denied after appeal      

 

Expedited (urgent) Prior Authorization Requests (Response Due to Provider Within 72 Hours)

 

How many times this happened Out of total appeals  Percentage
Request approved      
Request denied      

 

How many times this happened Out of total appeals  Percentage
Request approved with 72 hours      
Request denied within 72 hours      

 

How many times this happened Out of total appeals  Percentage
Request approved only after time for review was extended      
Request denied after time for review was extended      

 

Health equity analysis

We want to make sure that everyone gets the same quality of health care, no matter who they are or where they come from. To help do this, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is gathering data from health plans about how people are treated when they need prior authorization (approval for certain medical services).

By studying this data, we can find out if some people are not getting the right care because of their social or health conditions and help make sure that everyone gets fair treatment.

You can view the report that Fallon Health provided to CMS below:

* Prior to January 1, 2026, prior authorization decisions were required to be made within 72 hours for expedited requests (urgent) and 14 calendar days for standard requests (non-urgent). Beginning January 1, 2026, prior authorization decisions are required to be made within 72 hours for expedited requests (urgent) and 14 calendar days for standard requests (non-urgent). 

** This report represents the results of the CMS-required assessment of the impact of prior authorization on members who are defined as being potentially impacted by health equity inequalities versus those who are not defined as having health equity inequalities (as defined by CMS). The comparison shows no differential impact of prior authorization on members defined as being affected by health equity inequalities.

Call us toll-free at 1-888-340-5504 (TRS 711), 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Monday–Friday.
(7 days a week, Oct. 1–March 31)

H9001_260009_C_2026_B | The information on this page was last updated on 3/5/2025.