{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-blasts-health-care-delays-insurers-get-inbetween-patients-their-doctors", "HYDE-SMITH BLASTS HEALTH CARE DELAYS AS INSURERS GET INBETWEEN PATIENTS & THEIR DOCTORS", "2026-06-09", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Hyde-Smith Delivers Floor Speech Encouraging Congress to Act on Two Bipartisan Bills to Curb Prior Authorization Requirements\n\nVIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Urges Colleagues to Act on Legislation to Place Restrictions on Prior Authorization Power Held by Health Insurance Companies.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today sharply criticized the use of prior authorization by health insurance companies that often delay or even deny physician-prescribed care for patients.\n\nIn a floor speech Tuesday, Hyde-Smith called on Congress to pass \u201cpractical, bipartisan\u201d legislation she supports that would limit the ability of insurers to use prior authorization requirements to disrupt patient care.\n\n\u201cAcross the country, patients and providers alike are increasingly frustrated by prior authorization requirements imposed by insurance companies. Too often, these requirements override the medical judgement of doctors who know their patients best,\u201d Hyde-Smith said. \u201cI have had oncologists, cardiologists, psychiatrists, and many other medical professionals visit my office to share their ongoing concerns with how prior authorizations are disrupting care. They are trained experts, yet their decisions are being second-guessed by insurers.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe delays aren\u2019t minor. Patients are often forced to wait days, weeks, or even months for critical care, which, in many cases, will still be denied in the end. There are simply too many unnecessary hurdles standing between a patient, doctor, and the care that they need,\u201d the Senator continued.\n\nHyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, encouraged colleagues to pass legislation to correct the imbalance. She specifically highlighted two bipartisan bills on which she is an original cosponsor:\n\nThe Improving Seniors\u2019 Timely Access to Care Act (S.1816), led by U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), would streamline the prior authorization process under Medicare Advantage to ensure patients can access medical services in a timely manner.\n\nThe Safe Step Act (S.2903), led by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), would require group health plans to provide an exception process for any medication step therapy protocol \u2013 tools used by health plans to control spending on patients\u2019 medications \u2013 to help ensure patients are able to safely and efficiently access treatment.\n\n\u201cWe must act with urgency. Every day we delay is another day patients are left wanting for care, waiting for care that they need and deserve. I urge my colleagues and the administration to prioritize these issues and move swiftly to address them,\u201d Hyde-Smith said. \u201cEvery day we delay is another day that insurance companies will continue making decisions on behalf of medical professionals, which they have no business doing whatsoever.\u201d\n\nPrior authorization, a tool used by health plans to reduce unnecessary care by requiring health care providers to get pre-approval for medical services, has been identified by health care providers as their No. 1 administrative burden.\n\nIn addition, the HHS Office of Inspection General audits and reports continue to highlight widespread and persistent problems related to inappropriate denials of services and payment by Medicare Advantage Organizations.\n\nRead the text of Hyde-Smith\u2019s remarks here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-13T06:32:19Z", "2026-06-13T06:34:27Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-blasts-health-care-delays-insurers-get-inbetween-patients-their-doctors"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7096400950103998, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}