Researchers analyzed data on 53 psychiatric ED patients. While half of the authorization requests were approved within 20 minutes, 10 percent were not approved for an hour or more, according to the report. Only one patient’s insurance denied preauthorization.
Long waits for preauthorization present a risk for psychiatric ED patients — many of whom may be suicidal — and take physicians’ time away from direct patient care, according to the report.
More Articles on ED Utilization:
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center Battles ED Crowding
Study: 9% of Veterans Affairs Patients Visited ED Once in 2010
Study: Return ED Visits Account for Half of Patient Returns to Acute-Level Care
