The Shadow
RICHMOND, VA – Nearly 9 in 10 Virginia voters say they want the Virginia General Assembly to approve legislation that would establish standards for prior authorization decisions by health insurance companies and require more transparency by making information on prior authorization requirements and approval rates publicly available for customers and their doctors.
A recent statewide poll from Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy shows that 88 percent of voters support that type of policy action by state lawmakers during the upcoming 2025 legislative session, compared to just 8 percent who oppose that idea.
This is the second statewide poll of Virginia voters in recent months showing strong support for government action to reform health insurance company prior authorization decisions impacting patient access to care. An October statewide poll from Mason-Dixon showed that among those who have experienced delays or denial of needed medical care due to restrictive insurance prior authorization policies, 76 percent support government intervention to limit prior authorization practices.
In addition to those findings, the poll also shows Virginia voters continue to support maintaining the Commonwealth’s certificate of public need (COPN) program, which is a regulatory system that promotes access to care through the distribution of medical services and facilities:
- By a more than 3-to-1 margin (75 percent to 19 percent), voters say they favor a health system that regulates expansion of facilities and services to promote access to care and distribution of health care providers and facilities.
- 59 percent say the COPN system should be kept in place in Virginia, compared to just 18 percent who want to eliminate it.
- About one-third of voters (30 percent) have experienced a delay or denial of recommended care due to an insurance company prior authorization decision.
- And 58 percent say that the government should take action to limit insurance company prior authorization practices, compared to 35 percent opposed to such action.
The statewide survey results are based on a poll of 625 registered Virginia voters conducted Dec. 17-20, 2024. It featured live landline and cell phone interviews with Virginians from all regions of the state representing the ethnic, gender, age, geographic, and political diversity of the Commonwealth. The poll is the latest in a series of surveys commissioned by the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) to help identify health care issues of concern to Virginians, better understand public sentiment about them, and to inform the Association’s approach to public policy engagement.
About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 111 hospitals and 26 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to achieve excellence in both health care and health to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Its vision is through collaboration with members and stakeholders, to ensure the sustainability of Virginia health care system, transform the delivery of care to promote lower costs and high value across the continuum of care, and to improve health for all Virginians. Connect with VHHA through Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, TikTok , LinkedIn, and YouTube.
