DOVER, Del. - Nearly 50 healthcare-focused organizations are urging Delaware lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 6, legislation designed to reform the state’s pre-authorization process. Pre-authorization, also called prior authorization, is when a doctor must get approval from an insurance company before a patient can receive certain treatments, tests, or medications.
The bill, known as the Delaware Pre-Authorization Reform Act of 2025, is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday, April 16, at 1 p.m. in the Senate Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology Committee.
State Sen. Bryan Townsend is the bill’s primary sponsor, alongside Sen. Nicole Poore, Rep. Krista Griffith, and House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown.
According to lawmakers, the bill includes several key provisions designed to reduce barriers and improve care:
Insurers would be required to respond to electronic pre-authorization requests within 72 hours for non-urgent care and within 24 hours for urgent services.
If a request is denied, the decision must be made by a physician of the same or similar specialty as the requesting provider.
Peer-to-peer consultations must be available for urgent care, hospital, and emergency physicians.
By Jan. 1, 2027, insurers must adopt electronic platforms compatible with those used by providers.
The duration of approved pre-authorizations would increase from a minimum of 60 days to at least 90 days.