Unable to make peace on their own with Minnesota's health insurers, the state's doctors are pressing legislation that would make it easier for them to overcome "prior authorization" insurance hurdles when prescribing drugs to patients. While acknowledging that insurance restrictions play a role in preventing waste and drug misuse, leaders of the Minnesota Medical Association said Thursday that many patients are denied their medications or preferred brands with no discernible reasons. And state Sen. Melisa Franzen, DFL-Edina, said doctors waste thousands of hours and millions of dollars each year haggling with insurers over prescriptions held up by prior authorization. "While intended as a way to ensure high-quality, cost-effective medicine, it is often getting in the way," she said.
