Aetna Expands Bundled Oncology Prior Authorizations, Easing Provider Burden and Accelerating Member Access to Care

WOONSOCKET, RI / ACCESS Newswire / September 24, 2026 / Aetna®, a CVS Health® company (NYSE:CVS), is expanding prior authorization bundles across all cancer types for members in eligible(1) Medicaid states as of September 1, with plans to expand across all lines of business in 2027. This expansion builds on the success of the initial roll-out, with almost 25% of eligible members receiving a bundled prior authorization, assuring their services have been approved in advance to accelerate their access to care.

On average, Aetna saw that providers were submitting four separate prior authorizations for each member in need of cancer treatments.(2) By offering a single, secure prior authorization for a bundle of cancer treatments, Aetna is helping patients access care simply throughout their treatment journey. Prior authorization bundles combine medical oncology, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy where appropriate, and/or radiation oncology services with associated high-tech imaging needs, such as MRI or CT scans, into one request submitted through a single portal.