{"id":2172747,"date":"2026-04-01T12:01:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T16:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/?post_type=article&#038;p=2172747"},"modified":"2026-04-08T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:00:00","slug":"prior-authorization-insurance-delays-coverage-denials-state-laws-west-virginia","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/prior-authorization-insurance-delays-coverage-denials-state-laws-west-virginia\/","title":{"rendered":"After Man\u2019s Death Following Insurance Denials, West Virginia Tackles Prior Authorization"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2559\" height=\"1706\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg\" alt=\"An older man lies in a hospital bed. His wife and daughter are on either side of him, smiling.\" class=\"wp-image-2177456\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg 2559w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_01.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2559px) 100vw, 2559px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Eric Tennant with his wife, Becky, and daughter, Amiya.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Becky Tennant)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Six months after a West Virginia man died following a protracted battle with his health insurer over doctor-recommended cancer care, the state\u2019s Republican governor signed a bill intended to curb the harm of insurance denials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"block--sidebar alignright \">\n\t\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kaiser-health-news-partner block--partner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"partner__image--link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/mans-death-insurance-denials-west-virginia-tackles-prior-authorization-rcna265540\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"partner__image\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/NBC-News-Logo-2022.png?w=120\" alt=\"Partner logo\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"partner__content\">\n\t\tThis story also ran on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/mans-death-insurance-denials-west-virginia-tackles-prior-authorization-rcna265540\">NBC News<\/a>. It can be <a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/prior-authorization-insurance-delays-coverage-denials-state-laws-west-virginia\/view\/republish\/\">republished for free<\/a>.\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-style-classic  wp-block-kff-common-promo\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__title\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__link\" href=\"https:\/\/kaiserfamilyfoundation.wufoo.com\/forms\/w19lp8m31l8mow5\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\tWe Want To Hear Your Story.\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__excerpt\">Do you have experience with prior authorization you\u2019d like to share with us for KFF Health News&#8217; reporting? <a href=\"https:\/\/kaiserfamilyfoundation.wufoo.com\/forms\/w19lp8m31l8mow5\/\">Click here<\/a> to reach us.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__read-more wp-block-kff-common-promo__link\" href=\"https:\/\/kaiserfamilyfoundation.wufoo.com\/forms\/w19lp8m31l8mow5\/\">contact us<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>West Virginia\u2019s Public Employees Insurance Agency enrolls nearly 215,000 people \u2014 state workers, as well as their spouses and dependents. The new law, which will take effect June 10, will allow plan members who have been approved for a course of treatment to pursue an alternative, medically appropriate treatment of equal or lesser value without the need for another approval from the state-based health plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis legislation is rooted in a simple principle: if a treatment has already been approved, patients should be able to pursue a medically appropriate alternative without being forced to start the process over again \u2014 especially when it does not cost more,\u201d Gov. Patrick Morrisey said in a statement after signing the bill into law on March 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is about common sense, compassion, and trusting patients and their doctors to make the best decisions for their care,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignwide is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/podgwekIp9k?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;start=840&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg\" alt=\"Two women talk to one another on a porch.\" class=\"wp-image-2177457\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg?resize=500,281 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg?resize=1270,714 1270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg?resize=120,68 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg?resize=170,96 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg?resize=315,177 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg?resize=630,354 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_02.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Becky Tennant (left) and West Virginia Delegate Laura Kimble discuss Eric Tennant\u2019s insurance denial.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(NBC News)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Delegate Laura Kimble, the Republican from Harrison County who introduced the legislation, told KFF Health News the measure offers \u201ca rational solution\u201d for patients facing \u201cthe most irrational and chaotic time of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From Arizona to Rhode Island, at least half of all state legislatures have taken up bills this year related to prior authorization, a process that requires patients or their medical team to seek approval from an insurer before proceeding with care. These state efforts come as patients across the country <a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/prior-authorization-insurer-pledge-awaiting-reforms-patients-families-bills\/\">await relief from prior authorization hurdles<\/a>, as promised by dozens of major health insurers in a pledge announced by the Trump administration last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The West Virginia law was inspired by <a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/prior-authorization-denials-cancer-treatment-west-virginia-death\/\">Eric Tennant<\/a>, a coal-mining safety instructor from Bridgeport who died on Sept. 17 at age 58. In early 2025, the Public Employees Insurance Agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-care\/prior-authorization-insurance-denials-patients-treatment-rcna212068\">repeatedly denied him coverage<\/a> of a $50,000 noninvasive cancer treatment, called histotripsy, that would have used ultrasound waves to target, and potentially shrink, the largest tumor in his liver. His family didn\u2019t expect the procedure to eradicate the cancer, but they hoped it would buy him more time and improve his quality of life. The insurer said the procedure wasn\u2019t medically necessary and that it was considered \u201cexperimental and investigational.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"has-eyebrow is-style-classic  wp-block-kff-common-promo\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__image\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__link\" href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/prior-authorization-denials-cancer-treatment-west-virginia-death\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?w=500\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A photo of a husband and wife standing on the beach.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg 3508w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=1270,846 1270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Tennant_05.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__eyebrow\">related coverage<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__title\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__link\" href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/prior-authorization-denials-cancer-treatment-west-virginia-death\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\tAfter Series of Denials, His Insurer Approved Doctor-Recommended Cancer Care. It Was Too Late.\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__excerpt\">Eric Tennant\u2019s doctors recommended histotripsy, which would target, and potentially destroy, a cancerous tumor in his liver. But by the time his insurer approved the treatment, Tennant was no longer considered a good candidate. He died in September.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"wp-block-kff-common-promo__read-more wp-block-kff-common-promo__link\" href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/prior-authorization-denials-cancer-treatment-west-virginia-death\/\">Read More<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div\n\tclass=\"wp-block block--newsletter  \"\n\tdata-type=\"kaiser-health-news\/newsletter\"\n\tdata-align=\"center\"\n\tstyle=\"\"\n>\n\t<h4 class=\"newsletter__title\">\n\t\t<a href=\"\/email\/\">\n\t\t\tEmail Sign-Up\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/h4>\n\t<p class=\"newsletter__description\">\n\t\tSubscribe to KFF Health News&#039; free Morning Briefing.\t<\/p>\n\t\n<form\n\taction=\"\/email-signup\/\"\n\tclass=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form\"\n\tmethod=\"post\"\n>\n\t<input type=\"hidden\" id=\"kaiser_hubspot_nonce\" name=\"kaiser_hubspot_nonce\" value=\"87a489a56a\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/2172747\" \/>\t\t\t\t<label\n\t\tclass=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form__label--email\"\n\t\tfor=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form-email\"\n\t>\n\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">\n\t\t\tYour Email Address\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<input\n\t\t\tautocomplete=\"email\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form__input--email\"\n\t\t\tid=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form-email\"\n\t\t\tname=\"kaiser_hubspot_email\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"email\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplaceholder=\"Your email address\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t<\/label>\n\t<button class=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form__submit\">\n\t\tSign Up\t<\/button>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Becky Tennant, Eric\u2019s widow, told members of a West Virginia House committee in late February that she submitted medical records, expert opinions, and data as part of several attempts to appeal the denial. She also reached out to \u201calmost every one of our state representatives,\u201d asking for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing worked, she told lawmakers, until <a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/prior-authorization-insurer-denials-patients-run-out-of-options\/\">KFF Health News and NBC News got involved<\/a> and posed questions to the Public Employees Insurance Agency about Eric\u2019s case. Only then <a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/prior-authorization-insurer-denials-patients-run-out-of-options\/\"><\/a>did the insurer reverse its decision and approve histotripsy, Tennant said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut by then, the delay had already done its damage,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within one week of the reversal in late May, Eric Tennant was hospitalized. His health continued to decline, and by midsummer he was no longer considered a suitable candidate for the procedure. \u201cThe insurance company\u2019s decision did not simply delay care. It closed doors,\u201d his wife said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Had the new law been in effect, Kimble said, Tennant could have undergone histotripsy without preapproval, because it was a less expensive alternative to chemotherapy, which his insurer had already authorized. The bill was passed unanimously by the state legislature in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a baseball cap sits in a chair.\" class=\"wp-image-2177458\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg?resize=500,281 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg?resize=1270,714 1270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg?resize=120,68 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg?resize=170,96 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg?resize=315,177 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg?resize=630,354 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_041.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A new West Virginia law would have allowed Eric Tennant to undergo histotripsy without the need to obtain preapproval from his health insurer, because the treatment was less expensive than chemotherapy, which had already been authorized.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(NBC News)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. health insurers argue that most prior authorization requests are quickly, if not instantly, approved. AHIP, the health insurance industry trade group, says prior authorization <a href=\"https:\/\/ahiporg-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/documents\/202506_AHIP_Report_Prior_Authorization.pdf\">acts as an important guardrail<\/a> in preventing potential harm to patients and reducing unnecessary health care costs. But denials and delays tend to affect patients who need expensive, time-sensitive care, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amjmed.com\/article\/S0002-9343(25)00553-4\/fulltext\">studies have shown<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The practice has come under intense scrutiny in recent years, particularly after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/12\/06\/nyregion\/unitedhealthcare-brian-thompson-shooting.html\">fatal shooting of a health insurance executive<\/a> in New York City in late 2024. Americans rank prior authorization as their biggest burden when it comes to getting health care, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kff.org\/public-opinion\/kff-health-tracking-poll-prior-authorizations-rank-as-publics-biggest-burden-when-getting-health-care\/\">poll published in February<\/a> by KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Samantha Knapp, a spokesperson for the West Virginia Department of Administration, would not answer questions about the law\u2019s financial impact on the state. \u201cWe prefer to avoid any speculation at this time regarding potential impact or actions,\u201d Knapp said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a fiscal note attached to the bill, Jason Haught, the Public Employees Insurance Agency\u2019s chief financial officer, said the law would cost the agency an estimated $13 million annually and \u201ccause member disruption.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>West Virginia isn\u2019t an outlier in targeting prior authorization. By late 2025, 48 other states, in addition to the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, already had some form of a prior authorization law \u2014 or laws \u2014 on the books, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/content.naic.org\/sites\/default\/files\/inline-files\/PA%20white%20paper%2012.4.2025%20final.pdf#page=31\">report published in December<\/a> by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many states have set up \u201cgold carding\u201d programs, which allow physicians with a track record of approvals to bypass prior authorization requirements. Some states establish a maximum number of days insurance companies are allowed to respond to requests, while others prohibit insurance companies from issuing retrospective denials after a service has already been preauthorized. There are also <a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/artificial-intelligence-ai-health-insurance-companies-state-regulation-trump\/\">a crop of new state laws<\/a> seeking to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in prior authorization decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, prior authorization bills introduced this year across the country, including in Kentucky, Missouri, and New Jersey, have been supported by politicians from both parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRepublicans in conservative states see health care as a vulnerability for the midterm elections, and so, unsurprisingly, you\u2019ll see some action on this,\u201d said Robert Hartwig, a clinical associate professor of risk management, insurance, and finance at the University of South Carolina. \u201cThey realize that they\u2019re not really going to get much action at the federal level given the degree of gridlock we\u2019ve already seen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3400\" height=\"3992\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg\" alt=\"Laura Kimble and Becky Tennant smile for a photo while seated at a hearing of the West Virginia House of Representatives.\" class=\"wp-image-2177459\" style=\"width:502px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg 3400w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=128,150 128w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=426,500 426w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=768,902 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=1082,1270 1082w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=1308,1536 1308w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=1744,2048 1744w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=120,141 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=170,200 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=300,352 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=500,587 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=315,370 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=630,740 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/WVa_03.jpg?resize=1200,1409 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3400px) 100vw, 3400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">When her husband, Eric Tennant, was denied doctor-recommended cancer treatment by their health insurer, Becky Tennant (right) of Bridgeport, West Virginia, reached out to state lawmakers for help appealing the decision. A Republican delegate, Laura Kimble (left), later introduced a bill to curb harms tied to prior authorization for patients covered by West Virginia\u2019s Public Employees Insurance Agency.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Catherine Lyon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Last summer, the Trump administration <a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/5-takeaways-from-insurers-pledge-to-improve-prior-authorization\/\">announced a pledge<\/a> signed by dozens of health insurers vowing to reform prior authorization. The insurers promised to reduce the scope of claims that require preapproval, decrease wait times, and communicate with patients in clear language when denying a request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consumers, patient advocates, and medical providers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/health-insurance-preauthorization-patients\/\">have expressed skepticism<\/a> that companies will follow through on their promises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Becky Tennant is skeptical, too. That\u2019s why she advocated for the West Virginia bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFamilies should not have to beg, appeal, or go public just to access time-sensitive care,\u201d she told lawmakers. Tennant, who sees the bill\u2019s passage as bittersweet, said she thought her husband would have been proud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During Eric\u2019s final hospital stay, Tennant recalled, right before he was discharged to home hospice care, she asked him whether he wanted her to keep fighting to change the state agency\u2019s prior authorization process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u2018Well, you need to at least try to change it,\u2019\u201d she recalled her husband saying. \u201c\u2018Because it\u2019s not fair.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI told him I would keep trying,\u201d she said, \u201cat least for a while. And so I am keeping that promise to him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>NBC News health and medical unit producer Jason Kane and correspondent Erin McLaughlin contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Do you have an experience with prior authorization you\u2019d like to share? <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/kaiserfamilyfoundation.wufoo.com\/forms\/w19lp8m31l8mow5\/\"><em>Click here<\/em><\/a><em> to tell KFF Health News your story.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After Eric Tennant died, his widow vowed to speak out against West Virginia\u2019s Public Employees Insurance Agency, which had denied cancer treatment recommended by Tennant\u2019s doctor. Her efforts paid off. In March, West Virginia\u2019s governor signed a bill to protect some patients from harm tied to prior authorization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2177456,"template":"","meta":{"_cr_original_post":"","_cr_replace_post_id":"","_cr_replacing_post_id":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"kff_featured_video":0,"kff_show_featured_video":false,"kff_show_mute_audio_button":false,"custom_shortlink":"\/MjE3Mjc0Nw","kaiser_health_news_byline_override":"","kaiser_health_news_can_republish":true,"kaiser_health_news_featured_image_caption":"","kaiser_health_news_header_overlay_color":"","kaiser_health_news_header_theme_slug":"","kaiser_health_news_hero_image":0,"kaiser_health_news_backdrop_padding":115,"kaiser_health_news_hide_partner":false,"kaiser_health_news_kicker":"Deadly Denials","kaiser_health_news_kicker_background_color":"","kaiser_health_news_kicker_text_color":"","kaiser_health_news_kicker_url":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/deadly-denials\/","kaiser_health_news_nav_theme_slug":"compact","kaiser_health_news_nav_transparency":false,"kaiser_health_news_sharing_title":"","kaiser_health_news_show_featured_image":false,"kaiser_health_news_subheadline":"","kaiser_health_news_suppress_kicker":false,"kaiser_health_news_suppress_subheadline":false,"kaiser_health_news_update_time":"","kaiser_health_news_vertical_image":0,"kaiser_health_news_title_align_left":false,"kaiser_health_news_custom_header_image":0,"photo_byline":[],"story_update":"","update_position":"bottom","kaiser_syndication_sites":[],"apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-04-01T16:03:08Z","apple_news_api_id":"31ee260a-8d99-4aa8-8bf9-ebca6fa872db","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-04-08T15:00:05Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AMe4mCo2ZSqiL-evKb6hy2w","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":["https:\/\/news-api.apple.com\/sections\/20265c01-23d7-4d15-96e0-0691b89c3772"],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_user_copyeditor":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_tweets":"","_ef_editorial_meta_text_partner-pitch":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_estimated-pub-date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[178379,439528530,31304,36835],"tags":[24592,439529530,59349,303394884,28577,22720,4614,439528002,439524082],"primary-topic":[],"partners":[439524323],"funder":[439528750],"coauthors":[439528979],"class_list":["post-2172747","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-industry","category-southern-bureau","category-states","category-syndicate","tag-arizona","tag-prior-authorizations","tag-kentucky","tag-legislation","tag-missouri","tag-new-jersey","tag-new-york","tag-rhode-island","tag-west-virginia","partners-nbc-news","funder-robert-wood-johnson-foundation"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>After Man\u2019s Death Following Insurance Denials, West Virginia Tackles Prior Authorization - KFF Health News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After Eric Tennant died, his widow vowed to speak out against West Virginia\u2019s Public Employees Insurance Agency, which had denied cancer treatment recommended by Tennant\u2019s doctor. 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