Questions to Consider While Waiting for Insurance Approval
For some cancer patients, waiting for insurance approval is not simply an administrative step. It can affect when treatment begins.
Approval can take time when prior authorization, network review, or additional documentation is required. In the American Medical Association’s 2025 Prior Authorization Physician Survey, 95% of physicians reported that prior authorization delays access to medically necessary care.
A delay does not automatically mean that another treatment pathway is needed. The clinical implications of waiting should be discussed with the treating physician.
Patients may wish to ask:
- How long is it medically safe to wait?
- Could a delay change the treatment plan or make the recommended treatment no longer available?
- What are the next steps if approval is not granted in time?
For some patients, waiting is clinically acceptable. For others, particularly when the disease is progressing, symptoms are worsening, or treatment eligibility could change, the treating physician should reassess how long treatment can safely wait.
Waiting is not always neutral. It can affect the treatment timeline.
When approval timing is uncertain, an international hospital review can proceed in parallel to clarify whether another clinically appropriate option is available in time.
Source: American Medical Association, 2025 Prior Authorization Physician Survey
