FRANKFORT- Patients in Kentucky could get prescriptions faster. 

Senate Bill 54 was heard in the Senate Committee  on Banking and Insurance Tuesday. It would speed up the prior authorization process in Kentucky. 

Currently, insurance companies require doctors to have prior authorization before they perform a procedure or prescribe medication to a patient. This piece of legislation would speed up the process by making the information needed to be approved for authorization available online. It would also require insurance companies respond to requests by 24 hours if it is urgent or 72 hours if it is not urgent. 

The bill would also increase access to electronic prior authorization forms. 

Those in support of the bill say the time spent waiting for insurance companies to approve medications or procedures can be life or death. 

"1 in 4 physicians reported serious harm to their patients because of the expanded process of prior authorization," said Dr. Bruce Scott, President of Kentucky Medical Association. "The issues and statistics highlighted in the AMA study, and by Dr. Alvarado and myself, are not some abstract concept. I deal with them everyday, as do the other physicians, as I tell the patients what I want to do for them, but I need to get approval from their insurance companies and they face that delay." 

The bill would also allow medications to be approved for a year. This is something that opponents to the measure say they can't get behind. 

"We do feel that there are medications that should be exempt from the year long prescriptions, those are Schedule I and Schedule II controlled substances, medications that are prescribed for non-maintenance conditions, like psychotropic drugs, even medications that the treatment themselves last less than a year long treatment cycle," said Stephanie Stumbo, Acting Executive Director of Kentucky Association of Health Plans.

The measure passed with only Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, voting no. 

Senate Bill 30, also sponsored by Sen. Ralph Alvarado, R-Winchester, passed the same committee. This bill expands genetic testing for cancer risks. It would require insurance agencies to cover any gene test recommended by certain medical professionals. The bill also says the cost of the testing can't be used toward a deductible, but proponents say this will end up saving the insurance companies money. 

Both bills head to the full Senate for consideration.