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H 841IDAHOSession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

Idaho establishes the Prior Authorization Reform Act to regulate health insurance pre-approval rules

Original title: INSURANCE – Adds to existing law to establish the Idaho Prior Authorization Reform Act.

Last action · March 11, 2026: Referred to Business

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

Idaho House Bill 841 establishes the Idaho Reform Act, setting strict timelines for health insurers to approve or deny medical service requests, requiring electronic prior authorization APIs by January 1, 2027, and mandating annual public reporting of denial and appeal statistics starting in 2027.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Health insurance issuers

Issuers must comply with new disclosure requirements, response timeframes, API standards, and annual reporting obligations, and face potential fines for violations.

Directly affected

Enrollees

Enrollees benefit from standardized review timelines, continuity of coverage provisions when switching plans, and transparent prior authorization criteria.

Directly affected

Health care professionals and providers

Providers receive standardized electronic submission processes, timely adverse determination notices with clinical reasoning, and peer review protections for appeals.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of health plans are excluded from this act?
Employee or employer self-insured health benefit plans under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), worker's compensation, and prescription drugs, biologics, biosimilars, and pharmaceutical medicines are excluded.
How long does an insurance company have to respond to an urgent prior authorization request?
Health insurance issuers must render a decision concerning urgent health care services within 72 hours after receipt of a complete expedited request.
Can patients file a lawsuit directly against an insurance company under this chapter?
No, there is no private right of action under this chapter. However, enrollees or providers may file a complaint with the Idaho Department of Insurance.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

4 actions
  1. Mar 11, 2026Committee
    Referred to Business
  2. Mar 11, 2026
    Reported out of Committee, Returned to the Desk for re-referral
  3. Mar 9, 2026Committee
    Reported Printed and Referred to Environment, Energy & Technology
  4. Mar 6, 2026Introduced
    Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Comprehensive Prior Authorization Overhaul

The legislation establishes standardized statutory timeframes, electronic API integration mandates, and mandatory annual reporting of denial and appeal rates for health insurers in Idaho.

Idaho Department of Insurance

Connected Entities

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Ways and Means Committee, Idaho Department of Insurance
OrganizationCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services“Source of interoperability and prior authorization final rules referenced in the”Map →
OrganizationWays and Means Committee“Committee that introduced House Bill No. 841.”Map →
OrganizationIdaho Department of Insurance“Receives reports, complaints, and enforces compliance with the Prior Authorizati”Map →

Sources

Open source document

legislature.idaho.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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