Senator Gillibrand and a bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduce legislation to simplify the health care process for seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans

New York – In a fresh bipartisan move aimed at improving how quickly older Americans get the care they need, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has reintroduced the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act—a bill designed to tackle one of the most frustrating hurdles in the U.S. health care system: the prior authorization process for Medicare Advantage plans.

The legislation, which comes at zero cost to taxpayers, aims to modernize and simplify how doctors get approval to treat patients. Specifically, the bill addresses the delays caused by outdated and inefficient systems that require doctors and health care workers to spend hours on the phone or fax machine waiting for green lights from insurance providers. That time, lawmakers argue, could be far better spent actually treating patients.

“Senior citizens have spent their entire lives contributing to our communities, and they deserve every resource to support their health and well-being,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act will help cut through unnecessary red tape and ensure timely medical care is accessible to older Americans. Seniors should have reliable access to specialist care, mental health support, preventative services, and the treatments they need to live with dignity. I am proud to support this important legislation, and I pledge to continue fighting to expand access to quality, affordable, and timely health care for our seniors.”

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The bill directly targets the problems associated with Medicare Advantage, a popular program currently serving 32.8 million Americans—including more than two million in New York alone. While Medicare Advantage is supposed to provide flexible and comprehensive coverage, many doctors and patients say the red tape is choking the system and delaying critical treatment. Prior authorization, meant to prevent unnecessary procedures, often leads to serious delays even for routine care.

Nearly 75% of those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans report running into delays due to prior authorization. It’s not just an inconvenience—it can impact people’s health. Physicians have cited it as the number one administrative burden in their practice, and critics argue that it takes time away from patient care.

If passed, the new bill would overhaul how prior authorization works by making the process electronic and standardized across the board. No more piles of paperwork or dozens of back-and-forth phone calls. Under the bill’s terms, Medicare Advantage plans would be required to implement electronic systems for pre-approvals, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would be empowered to establish time limits for decisions. That includes real-time decisions for services that are routinely approved.

The legislation also introduces new transparency requirements, forcing Medicare Advantage plans to publicly share data on how and when they use prior authorization. In addition, it strengthens protections for beneficiaries to ensure their health outcomes and experiences improve under the new system.

Another key aspect of the bill is its integration of rules from the Advancing Interoperability and Improving Prior Authorization Processes final rule, issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in January 2024. By codifying these federal rules, the bill seeks to lock in recent progress and build a more consistent system for years to come.

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Support for the legislation runs deep and across party lines. Gillibrand is joined by more than 40 Senate co-sponsors, from Democrats like Amy Klobuchar, Dick Durbin, and Elizabeth Warren to Republicans such as Roger Marshall, John Cornyn, and Marsha Blackburn. Their shared goal: simplify the health care system for seniors and make sure access to care is timely and equitable.

In the House of Representatives, a companion bill was introduced by Reps. John Joyce (R-PA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), and Ami Bera (D-CA), demonstrating similar bipartisan momentum in the lower chamber.

The bill has also received wide-ranging endorsements from the health care industry, with more than 140 medical and patient advocacy organizations throwing their support behind the effort. These include groups representing doctors, hospitals, seniors, and health care technology experts, all united in the call for a better system.

The need for reform is urgent, especially as America’s senior population continues to grow. By 2030, more than 70 million Americans will be over the age of 65. As more seniors enroll in Medicare Advantage plans, the pressure on the health care system to work more efficiently will only increase. Lawmakers hope this bill will get ahead of that curve and offer a more humane, streamlined, and effective process.

Senator Gillibrand has long advocated for seniors and for a fairer health care system. With this legislation, she and her colleagues hope to remove one of the most persistent barriers in elderly care—a bureaucratic process that has too often made it harder for patients to get timely treatment. If passed, the bill could mark a turning point in how older Americans experience the health care system.

For now, the next steps will include committee reviews and further debate in both chambers of Congress. But with bipartisan support and no added cost to taxpayers, lawmakers are optimistic that this long-awaited change might finally become law.