American Society for Radiation Oncology responds to insurers’ commitment to repair prior authorization

June 30, 2025

The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz reported a commitment from industry leaders to repair the prior authorization process on June 23.

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) published a response to this pledge. They said, “pledgesalone wont fix a broken system that delays cancer treatment and harms patients.” They stress the need for action in their statement.

ASTRO President Dr. Sameer Keole, MD, FASTRO said: “Having HHS, CMS and industry collaborate to streamline prior authorization is a much-needed, long-overdue step to improve patients’ access to treatment. But making these reforms voluntary introduces room for widespread non-compliance. We should not abandon meaningful legislation to permanently fix prior authorization and bring relief to our patients.”

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