The study looked at nine retina practices and 2,225 prior authorization requests across the U.S., finding that 96% of prior authorizations for medications were approved.
The prior authorizations were also associated with a delay in care, and each authorization required a median of 100 minutes of clinic staff time.
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor intravitreal injections are a mainstay of treatment for many retinal diseases to optimize visual outcomes.
Of the 2,140 prior authorization approvals, 59.6% resulted in a delay in care greater than 24 hours, and 40% were given on the date of service.
Of the delayed approvals, 23.9% were approved within one day, 15.9% were approved within two to three days, 21.5% were approved within four to seven days, 26.3% were approved within eight to 31 days and 12.4% were approved within more than 31 days.