UnitedHealthcare announced it will eliminate most medical prior authorization requirements for rural providers and accelerate payments to approximately 1,500 rural hospitals nationwide by fall 2026.

The insurer said it will exempt rural providers from most medical prior authorization requirements across all lines of business. The changes will apply to roughly 1,500 rural hospitals, including all Critical Access Hospitals, and their associated rural practitioners.

UnitedHealthcare also plans to speed payments to these facilities by up to 50%, reducing payment times from fewer than 30 days to fewer than 15 days on average. The accelerated payments will cover Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and fully insured commercial plans.

The company initially launched a payment acceleration pilot program in four states in January 2026 and is immediately expanding it to include Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia.

"Rural care providers are essential to their communities yet fragile, so we welcome the chance to make meaningful investments to support their work," said Tim Noel, chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare.

The insurer is also developing hub-and-spoke care models that connect regional clinical expertise with community-based access points. Initial focus areas include maternity care, diabetes and post-surgical care.

Alan Morgan, chief executive officer of the National Rural Health Association, said the organization appreciates UnitedHealthcare's efforts to ease financial and administrative strain on rural health care providers.

UnitedHealthcare is part of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH). The information is based on a company press release.