Aetna Bundles All Cancer Authorizations for Medicaid Members Starting in September

Aetna, CVS Health's insurance unit, announced Thursday that it expanded its bundled prior authorization program across all cancer types for eligible Medicaid members, effective Sept. 1, 2026. The program combines medical oncology services such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, radiation oncology services, and related high-tech imaging including MRI and CT scans into one request submitted through the Eviti portal. Providers previously submitted an average of four separate prior authorizations per cancer patient, and nearly 25% of eligible members received a bundled prior authorization during the initial rollout. The program currently supports Medicaid members in Oklahoma, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Kentucky and West Virginia. Aetna's Provider Survey found that 74% of providers cited administrative burden as the top challenge for clinical staff, 31% cited prior authorization management as the largest contributor, and 30% believed bundled authorizations could save more than one hour per day on administrative tasks. Aetna plans to extend eligibility to Medicare and Commercial members in the first half of 2027 and to expand the program across all lines of business in 2027.