NEW REPORT: Georgians Report Insurance Companies Are Denying or Delaying Care Doctors Say They Need

NEW REPORT: Georgians Report Insurance Companies Are Denying or Delaying Care Doctors Say They Need August 31, 2026 Click here to read Sen. Ossoff’s new report on insurance companies denying or delaying Georgians care their doctors say they need Atlanta, Ga. — A new report from U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff reveals insurance companies are denying or delaying care Georgians’ doctors say they need. Today, Sen. Ossoff released a new report that details how Georgians are suffering delays or denials of medically necessary health care due to issues with “prior authorization,” where an insurance company can deny care even if doctors prescribe patients the treatment and say they need it. The report includes dozens of reports from Georgia patients, who have reported that prior authorization issues with their insurance companies have resulted in delays and denials of medically necessary health care, leading, in some cases to untreated life-threatening conditions, and/or severe financial hardship. In January, Sen. Ossoff launched an investigation into the impacts of rising health care costs and cuts to health care services, and in June, Sen. Ossoff urged Georgians to share stories of insurance companies denying or delaying medically necessary health care. “No American should be delayed or denied needed health care. It is unacceptable that Americans, who are paying record premiums to insurers making record profits in the world’s richest country, are nevertheless denied medically necessary care,” Sen. Ossoff said. “I will continue exposing these practices and working to ban insurance companies from denying or delaying needed health care.” Georgia cancer patients and their family members have reported to the Senator’s staff that their medically necessary cancer treatments have been delayed and denied by their insurance companies. As detailed in the report: Kathy Lemoine, based in Lawrenceville , is a mother whose son, Andrew, was diagnosed at 29 years old with colon cancer and passed away six months later, shortly after turning 30. Ms. Lemoine reported that the process of watching her son deteriorate was “unbearable.” “Many parts of his treatment required prior authorization. And the one thing you don’t have with cancer is time to waste,” Ms. Lemoine observed. During his initial hospital stay after having a colostomy bag, Andrew was given and subsequently prescribed certain medications. However, Ms. Lemoine was unable to initially pick up Andrew’s medication because his prescriptions required prior authorization, meaning their insurance company had not yet approved them. Ms. Lemoine reports, “stopping these medications would have been life threatening for Andrew.” Ms. Lemoine was forced to pay out-of-pocket for the medications. During his chemotherapy, Andrew also suffered from extreme nausea and struggled to eat, and his mother requested that he receive intravenous nutrients. However, his insurance refused to pay for the nutrient solution reportedly because Andrew was still being seen on an outpatient basis. Ms. Lemoine reported that for close to three months, the insurance company still refused to approve the solution, despite her many requests. Even when Andrew transitioned to inpatient care after being unable to eat, the insurance company still would not approve the solution for another month. Ms. Lemoine reports that during those two months Andrew lost 70 pounds and was constantly nauseated. Ms. Lemoine notes, “Andrew would still be gone today because his cancer was so advanced, but he may have lived longer and suffered so much less if he had proper nutrition.” Georgia parents have reported to the Senator’s staff that, even when their child’s doctor prescribes a specific medication or treatment, insurance companies have delayed or denied medically necessary care, placing their children at unnecessary risk of harm or injury. As detailed in the report: Julia McCool, based in Buford , is a mother who has a two-year-old son. When he was about one year old, he was wheezing and having difficulty breathing, and Mrs. McCool took him to the ER where he was diagnosed with RSV and was prescribed an albuterol inhaler to force his airways open if he had an asthma attack. About one month later, her son started wheezing again, and Mrs. McCool took him back to the ER where she reported his doctors prescribed Flovent, a preventive medication that would lessen the risk of asthma attacks and wheezing over time. However, a day later, after leaving the hospital, Mrs. McCool had not heard from her pharmacy that the prescription had been filled. She called, only to learn that the medication required a prior authorization, which she said had not been approved. When she called her insurance company, they told her to “get the hospital to prescribe something else.” Even though the company eventually approved the medication, Mrs. McCool reported that she was “desperate” and “making calls to get this done” while her son was sick and still wheezing:“M