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Senate panel weighs bill to limit prior authorization for early physical and occupational therapy visits
Summary
SB480 would bar insurers from requiring prior authorization for the first 12 visits of a new PT/OT episode; therapists described routine delays and downstream harms, while insurers warned the mandate could raise premiums and urged narrower fixes tied to coding and rule changes.
Concord — Testimony at the Senate Health and Human Services Committee centered on SB480, a bill proposed by Senator Sue Prentiss that would prohibit insurers from requiring prior authorization for the first 12 visits of a new physical-therapy or occupational-therapy episode.
Prentiss told the committee the change seeks to reduce administrative delays that interrupt timely care and rehabilitation, particularly in a state facing workforce constraints. “Under this bill, insurers may not require authorization for the first 12 visits of each new episode,” she said, explaining her intent to protect early access while…
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