Written and medically reviewed by Dorcas Morak, Pharm.D
Prior authorization (PA) remains one of the most common barriers to timely treatment in the U.S. Whether you're managing a chronic condition or starting a new prescription, PA requirements can lead to days or weeks of delays, worsening symptoms, and unnecessary treatment interruptions. Fortunately, several strategies—including using transparent discount cash-price options like the RxLess® Assurance Plan—help you bypass insurance bottlenecks and access your medications faster.
What Is Prior Authorization- and Why Does It Cause Delays?
Prior authorization is an insurance rule that requires your healthcare provider to obtain approval from your plan before it will cover certain medications. PA is most commonly required for high-cost therapies, specialty medications, or drugs with lower-cost alternatives.
Examples of medications that often require prior authorization include:
- Diabetes medications: empagliflozin (Jardiance), canagliflozin (Invokana), dulaglutide (Trulicity)
- Biologics for asthma/allergies: omalizumab (Xolair), mepolizumab (Nucala)
- Oncology treatments: palbociclib (Ibrance), osimertinib (Tagrisso)
- Immunology therapies: adalimumab (Humira), ustekinumab (Stelara)
While insurers say PA helps manage costs and ensure appropriate prescribing, it frequently creates significant access barriers:
- Delays of two weeks or more are common
- 93% of patients report PA-related delays
- 82% of patients may abandon treatment due to PA difficulty
- Providers report major increases in administrative workload and interruptions in continuity of care
These numbers reflect national data from studies by the American Medical Association and patient-advocacy groups and remain accurate.
How to Avoid Prior Authorization Delays
One of the fastest ways to bypass PA requirements is to use a discount cash-price medication program such as the RxLess® Assurance Plan. These programs do not use insurance, so no prior authorization is required.
This approach can help when:
- You need a medication urgently
- Your PA is taking too long
- Your insurer denies the request
- You’re waiting on an appeal
- You want uninterrupted treatment between insurance changes or formulary shifts
What Medications Can You Access Through the RxLess® Assurance Plan?
The RxLess® Assurance Plan provides access to a wide range of medications, including common generics and specialty drugs. Examples include:
Everyday Medications
- Diabetes: metformin, glipizide, SGLT2 inhibitors such as empagliflozin (Jardiance) and dapagliflozin (Farxiga)
- Asthma: albuterol inhalers (ProAir HFA, Ventolin HFA), montelukast
- Blood pressure: lisinopril, losartan, amlodipine
- High cholesterol: atorvastatin, rosuvastatin
- Thyroid disorders: levothyroxine
- Mental health: sertraline, bupropion, fluoxetine, aripiprazole
Specialty Medications While all specialty medications are technically eligible for discounted cash pricing, the actual discounts may be limited, and many specialty drugs may still remain expensive even after savings are applied.
How the RxLess® Assurance Plan Helps You Get Medication Faster—and for Less
The RxLess® Assurance Plan offers several advantages when you're trying to avoid delays and high costs:
- Free digital coupons accepted at over 70,000+ pharmacies across the U.S.
- Real-Time Price Finder to instantly compare cash prices at local pharmacies
- No insurance use, meaning no prior authorization needed
- Savings of up to 88% on many commonly prescribed medications
- No membership fees, no sign-ups, and no eligibility requirements This makes the RxLess® Assurance Plan particularly helpful when a PA delay threatens your ability to start or maintain treatment.
Are There Considerations When Using Discount Cash-Price Options?
Yes. While the RxLess® Assurance Plan can dramatically reduce delays and costs, patients should keep the following in mind:
- Confirm appropriateness: Always check with your healthcare provider before switching from an insurance-covered drug to a discount cash-price option.
- Compare prices: Sometimes insurance copays may still be lower and worth the hassle.
- Deductible impact: Cash purchases generally do not count toward insurance deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums.
- Use strategically: This is especially helpful during PA delays, insurance transitions, or urgent treatment needs.
