Health insurers turned “medically necessary” into a denial weapon. This article breaks down how coverage policies, anonymous medical directors, and financial incentives allow insurers to override doctors and block cancer care, then outlines concrete fixes that could shut the system down.

Prior authorization delays cancer care and drives preventable deaths. Oncologists report treatment denials disease progression and ER visits caused by insurer delays. What began as medical review now functions as weaponized paperwork that outlasts patients.