UnitedHealthcare to slash prior authorization use for many rural providers

By Allison Bell

News April 20, 2026 at 04:33 PM

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What You Need To Know

The shift affects all critical access hospitals, or small, isolated rural hospitals.
UnitedHealthcare said most rural providers will be exempted from most medical prior authorization requirements across all lines of business.
The company is also promising to speed up payments to rural hospitals.

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