Local Authority UnitedHealthcare Unveils 1,700 Treatments No Longer Needing Prior Approval By Bruce Japsen, UnitedHealth Group’s United Healthcare health insurance business Tuesday, September 1, 2026, disclosed 1,700 diagnostic codes tied to treatments and procedures that will soon no longer require prior approval from the nation’s largest health insurance company. In this photo is a general view outside the United Healthcare corporate headquarters in December 2024. UnitedHealth Group’s United Healthcare health insurance business said 1,700 diagnostic codes tied to treatments and procedures will soon no longer require prior approval. The disclosure Tuesday by the nation’s largest health insurance company comes at a time industry business practices are under fire from patients, physicians, lawmakers and regulators at both the state and federal level to reduce or get rid of prior authorization, the process of insurers reviewing hospital admissions and medications. A recent analysis by KFF, for example, revealed that insurers denied between 12% and 18% of prior authorization requests last year for Americans enrolled in either privatized Medicare Advantage coverage for older adults, Medicaid coverage for poor Americans or individual coverage under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. But UnitedHealthcare said it’s holding to its commitment announced earlier this year to reduce prior authorization volume by 30% by the end of 2026 by making public a list of the hundreds of procedures, treatments, diagnostic tests and other healthcare services no longer requiring prior authorization. The current procedural terminology (CPT) codes are five digits used by healthcare professionals to describe medical, surgical, diagnostic and other healthcare services. The CPT codes linked to procedures no longer needing approva