Back to Wisconsin

AB432 • 2025

transparency and regulation of prior authorization requirements under health insurance plans

transparency and regulation of prior authorization requirements under health insurance plans

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Representatives Dittrich, Behnke, Goeben, Kreibich, Maxey and Mursau, cosponsored by Senators Cabral-Guevara, Jacque and Nass
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
A - Health, Aging and Long-Term Care
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

transparency and regulation of prior authorization requirements under health insurance plans

transparency and regulation of prior authorization requirements under health insurance plans Status: A - Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

What This Bill Does

  • transparency and regulation of prior authorization requirements under health insurance plans Status: A - Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-23 Asm.

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  2. 2025-12-08 Asm.

    Senator Larson added as a cosponsor

  3. 2025-10-28 Asm.

    Representative Palmeri added as a coauthor

  4. 2025-09-23 Asm.

    Commissioner of Insurance report received pursuant to s.601.423(2), Wisconsin Statutes

  5. 2025-09-23 Asm.

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. 2025-09-23 Asm.

    Fiscal estimate received

  7. 2025-09-23 Asm.

    Fiscal estimate received

  8. 2025-09-15 Asm.

    Introduced by Representatives Dittrich , Behnke , Goeben , Kreibich , Maxey and Mursau ; cosponsored by Senators Cabral-Guevara , Jacque and Nass

  9. 2025-09-15 Asm.

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

Official Summary Text

transparency and regulation of prior authorization requirements under health insurance plans
Status: A - Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: AB432: Bill Text

Skip navigation

Home

Documents

Senate

Assembly

Committees

Service Agencies

Docs

Options

Help

2025 Biennium

Statutes

Admin. Rules

Indices

Miscellaneous

Archives

Home

Bill, Rule, and Appointment Histories

Senators

Representatives

Committees

Text of Introduced Proposals

Amendment Text

Acts

Veto Messages

Enrolled Bills

Votes

Assembly and Senate Floor Calendars

Schedule of Committee Activities

Assembly and Senate Journals

Committee Records (ROCPs)

Legislative Rules

All Session-Related Documents

Subject Index to Acts

Subject Index to Legislation

Subject Index to Journals

Author Index to Legislation

Subject Index to Clearinghouse Rules

Miscellaneous Budget Documents

Executive Orders

Rulings of the Chair

Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules

Opinions of the Attorney General

Town Law Forms

Law

Districts

Session

Drafting Files

Feeds

Preferences

Show tree

Hide tree

Feedback

Help

Home

Senate Home

Senators

Committees

Session

Chief Clerk

Sergeant at Arms

Civics Education

Human Resources
Assembly Home

Representatives

Committees

Session

Chief Clerk

Sergeant at Arms

Human Resources
Schedule

Joint

Senate

Assembly

Study
Legislative Audit Bureau

Legislative Council

Legislative Fiscal Bureau

Legislative Human Resources Office

Legislative Reference Bureau

Legislative Technology Services Bureau

Menu
»
2025
»
Related Documents
»
Proposal Text
»
AB432: Bill Text

Up

Up

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-4513/1
JPC:cjs&emw
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 432
September 15, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives
Dittrich
,
Behnke
,
Goeben
,
Kreibich
,
Maxey
and
Mursau
, cosponsored by Senators
Cabral-Guevara
,
Jacque
and
Nass
. Referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care.
AB432,1,4
1
An Act

to amend
40.51 (8), 40.51 (8m), 66.0137 (4), 120.13 (2) (g) and 185.983
2
(1) (intro.);
to create
609.815 and 632.848 of the statutes;
relating to:

3
transparency and regulation of prior authorization requirements under health
4
insurance plans.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill establishes several disclosure and regulatory requirements for prior authorizations for health care services under health insurance policies and plans. Under the bill, “prior authorization” is defined to mean the process by which utilization review entities determine the medical necessity or medical appropriateness of an otherwise covered health care service prior to the rendering of the health care service.
First, this bill requires that utilization review entities ensure that all adverse determinations are made by a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse who may issue prescription orders and that the physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse makes the adverse determination under the clinical direction of one of the utilization review entity’s medical directors who is responsible for the provision of health care services provided to enrollees in this state. An adverse determination is a decision by a utilization review entity that health care services provided or proposed to be provided to an enrollee are not medically necessary, or are experimental or investigational, and that benefit coverage is therefore denied, reduced, or terminated.
Further, this bill provides that a utilization review entity must render an authorization or adverse determination within 72 hours of obtaining all necessary information to render the authorization or adverse determination. If the health care service requiring prior authorization is an urgent health care service, the bill instead requires that a utilization review entity render an authorization or adverse determination for the urgent health care service not later than 24 hours after receiving all necessary information to render the authorization or adverse determination. This bill provides that authorizations are valid for no less than one year from the date that a health care provider receives the authorization and that authorizations must remain effective regardless of any changes in form, dosage, or method of administration for a prescription drug prescribed by the health care provider and regardless of any changes in frequency, extent, or duration for a health care service provided by the health care provider. This bill further provides that an authorization for a health care service that is a treatment of a chronic or long-term care condition must remain valid for the duration of the treatment.
This bill provides that if an enrollee begins receiving health care services under a new health insurance plan, a utilization review entity must, upon receipt of sufficient information documenting a previous authorization rendered to the enrollee from a previous utilization review entity, accept the authorization rendered to the enrollee by the previous utilization review entity for at least 90 days of the enrollee’s coverage under the new health insurance plan. During this grace period, a utilization review entity may perform its own prior authorization. If there is a change in coverage of, or utilization review criteria for, a previously authorized health care service, the change in coverage or utilization review criteria may not affect an enrollee who was rendered an authorization before the effective date of the change for the remainder of the enrollee’s plan year.
Finally, this bill prohibits a utilization review entity from denying payment for a health care service that has received authorization unless the health care provider that performed the health care service knowingly and materially misrepresented the health care service to the utilization review entity with the intent to deceive and to obtain an unlawful payment or the enrollee was not eligible for coverage on the day that the health care service was performed.
This proposal may contain a health insurance mandate requiring a social and financial impact report under s. 601.423, stats.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB432,1
1
Section

1
.
40.51 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB432,3,4
2
40.51
(8)
Every health care coverage plan offered by the state under sub. (6)
1
shall comply with ss. 631.89, 631.90, 631.93 (2), 631.95, 632.72 (2), 632.722,
2
632.729, 632.746 (1) to (8) and (10), 632.747, 632.748, 632.798, 632.83, 632.835,
3
632.848,
632.85, 632.853, 632.855, 632.861, 632.867, 632.87 (3) to (6), 632.885,
4
632.89, 632.895 (5m) and (8) to (17), and 632.896.
AB432,2
5
Section

2
.
40.51 (8m) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB432,3,9
6
40.51
(8m)
Every health care coverage plan offered by the group insurance
7
board under sub. (7) shall comply with ss. 631.95, 632.722, 632.729, 632.746 (1) to
8
(8) and (10), 632.747, 632.748, 632.798, 632.83, 632.835,
632.848,
632.85, 632.853,
9
632.855, 632.861, 632.867, 632.885, 632.89, and 632.895 (11) to (17).
AB432,3
10
Section

3
.
66.0137 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB432,3,17
11
66.0137
(4)

Self-insured health plans.
If a city, including a 1st class city,
12
or a village provides health care benefits under its home rule power, or if a town
13
provides health care benefits, to its officers and employees on a self-insured basis,
14
the self-insured plan shall comply with ss. 49.493 (3) (d), 631.89, 631.90, 631.93 (2),
15
632.722, 632.729, 632.746 (10) (a) 2. and (b) 2., 632.747 (3), 632.798,
632.848,

16
632.85, 632.853, 632.855, 632.861, 632.867, 632.87 (4) to (6), 632.885, 632.89,
17
632.895 (9) to (17), 632.896, and 767.513 (4).
AB432,4
18
Section

4
.
120.13 (2) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB432,3,22
19
120.13
(2)
(g) Every self-insured plan under par. (b) shall comply with ss.
20
49.493 (3) (d), 631.89, 631.90, 631.93 (2), 632.722, 632.729, 632.746 (10) (a) 2. and
21
(b) 2., 632.747 (3), 632.798,
632.848,
632.85, 632.853, 632.855, 632.861, 632.867,
22
632.87 (4) to (6), 632.885, 632.89, 632.895 (9) to (17), 632.896, and 767.513 (4).
AB432,5
23
Section

5
.
185.983 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB432,4,7
24
185.983
(1)
(intro.) Every voluntary nonprofit health care plan operated by a
1
cooperative association organized under s. 185.981 shall be exempt from chs. 600 to
2
646, with the exception of ss. 601.04, 601.13, 601.31, 601.41, 601.42, 601.43, 601.44,
3
601.45, 611.26, 611.67, 619.04, 623.11, 623.12, 628.34 (10), 631.17, 631.89, 631.93,
4
631.95, 632.72 (2), 632.722, 632.729, 632.745 to 632.749, 632.775, 632.79, 632.795,
5
632.798,
632.848,
632.85, 632.853, 632.855, 632.861, 632.867, 632.87 (2) to (6),
6
632.885, 632.89, 632.895 (5) and (8) to (17), 632.896, and 632.897 (10) and chs. 609,
7
620, 630, 635, 645, and 646, but the sponsoring association shall:
AB432,6
8
Section

6
.
609.815 of the statutes is created to read:
AB432,4,11
9
609.815 Prior authorization regulation and transparency.
Limited
10
service health organizations, preferred provider plans, and defined network plans
11
are subject to s. 632.848.
AB432,7
12
Section

7
.
632.848 of the statutes is created to read:
AB432,4,14
13
632.848 Prior authorization regulation and transparency. (1)

14
Definitions
. In this section:
AB432,4,18
15
(a) “Adverse determination” means a decision by a utilization review entity
16
that health care services provided or proposed to be provided to an enrollee are not
17
medically necessary, or are experimental or investigational, and that benefit
18
coverage is therefore denied, reduced, or terminated.
AB432,4,22
19
(b) “Authorization” means a determination made by a utilization review entity
20
that a health care service has been reviewed and, based on the information
21
provided, satisfies the utilization review entity’s requirements for medical necessity
22
and appropriateness and that payment will be made for the health care service.
AB432,4,23
23
(c) “Health benefit plan” has the meaning given in s. 632.745 (11).
AB432,5,3
24
(d) “Health care service” means a health care procedure, treatment, or service
1
that is provided by a facility licensed in this state or that is provided by a health
2
care provider within the scope of his or her practice. “Health care service” includes
3
the provision of pharmaceutical products or durable medical equipment.
AB432,5,4
4
(e) “Physician” has the meaning given in s. 448.01 (5).
AB432,5,7
5
(f) “Physician assistant” means a person who is licensed as a physician
6
assistant under subch. IX of ch. 448 or who holds a compact privilege under subch.
7
XIII of ch. 448.
AB432,5,14
8
(g) “Prior authorization” means the process by which utilization review
9
entities determine the medical necessity or medical appropriateness of an
10
otherwise covered health care service prior to the rendering of the health care
11
service. “Prior authorization” includes any health benefit plan's, self-insured
12
health plan's, or utilization review entity's requirement that an enrollee or health
13
care provider notify the health benefit plan or utilization review entity prior to
14
receiving or providing a health care service.
AB432,5,17
15
(h) “Enrollee” means an individual eligible to receive health care benefits
16
under a health benefit plan or a self-ensured health plan. “Enrollee” includes an
17
enrollee’s legally authorized representative.
AB432,5,18
18
(i) “Self-insured health plan” has the meaning given in s. 632.85 (1) (c).
AB432,5,22
19
(j) 1. “Urgent health care service” means a health care service that, in the
20
opinion of a physician with knowledge of the enrollee's medical condition, must be
21
provided sooner than the deadline for prior authorization under sub. (3) to avoid
22
any of the following results for the enrollee:
AB432,5,24
23
a. Serious jeopardy to life, health, or the ability to regain maximum bodily
24
function.
AB432,6,2
1
b. Severe pain that cannot be adequately managed without the care or
2
treatment that is the subject of the prior authorization.
AB432,6,4
3
2. “Urgent health care service” includes mental and behavioral health
4
services.
AB432,6,5
5
3. “Urgent health care service” does not include emergency services.
AB432,6,7
6
(k) “Utilization review entity” means any person that performs prior
7
authorizations for any of the following:
AB432,6,8
8
1. An insurer that writes health care liability insurance in this state.
AB432,6,11
9
2. A preferred provider plan, as defined in s. s. 609.01 (4), a defined network
10
plan, as defined ins. 609.01 (1b), or a limited service health organization, as defined
11
in s. 609.01 (3).
AB432,6,14
12
3. Any other person that provides, offers to provide, or administers hospital,
13
outpatient, medical, prescription drug, or other health benefits to an individual in
14
this state.
AB432,6,17
15
(2)

Personnel qualified to make adverse determinations
. A utilization
16
review entity shall ensure that all adverse determinations are made by a health
17
care provider who satisfies all of the following criteria:
AB432,6,20
18
(a) The health care provider is a physician, a physician assistant, or an
19
advanced practice registered nurse who may issue prescription orders under s.
20
441.09 (2).
AB432,7,2
21
(b) The health care provider makes the adverse determination under the
22
clinical direction of one of the utilization review entity’s medical directors who is
23
responsible for the provision of health care services provided to enrollees in this
1
state. All of the utilization review entity’s medical directors shall be physicians
2
licensed in this state.
AB432,7,10
3
(3)

Obligations of utilization review entity in nonurgent
4
circumstances
. Subject to sub. (4), a utilization review entity shall render an
5
authorization or adverse determination, and notify the enrollee and the enrollee’s
6
health care provider of the authorization or adverse determination, within 72 hours
7
of obtaining all necessary information to render the authorization or adverse
8
determination. For purposes of this subsection, “necessary information” includes
9
the results of any face-to-face clinical evaluation or second opinion that may be
10
required.
AB432,7,16
11
(4)

Obligations of utilization review entity in urgent circumstances
.
12
A utilization review entity shall render an authorization or adverse determination
13
concerning an urgent health care service, and notify the enrollee and the enrollee’s
14
health care provider of the authorization or adverse determination, not later than
15
24 hours after receiving all necessary information to render the authorization or
16
adverse determination.
AB432,7,22
17
(5)

Duration of authorization
. Subject to sub. (6), an authorization shall
18
be valid for no less than one year from the date that a health care provider receives
19
the authorization and the authorization shall remain effective regardless of any
20
changes in form, dosage, or method of administration for a prescription drug
21
prescribed by the health care provider and regardless of any changes in frequency,
22
extent, or duration for a health care service provided by the health care provider.
AB432,8,2
23
(6)

Duration of authorization for treatment of chronic or long-term
24
care conditions
. (a) In this subsection, “chronic or long-term care condition”
1
means a medical condition that has persisted for at least one year and continues to
2
persist after reasonable efforts have been made to relieve or cure its cause.
AB432,8,6
3
(b) An authorization for a health care service that is a treatment of a chronic
4
or long-term care condition shall remain valid for the duration of the treatment and
5
the utilization review entity may not require the enrollee to obtain an authorization
6
again for the treatment.

Down

Down

/2025/related/proposals/ab432

true

proposaltext

/2025/related/proposals/ab432

proposaltext/2025/REG/AB432

proposaltext/2025/REG/AB432

section

true

Menu
»
2025
»
Related Documents
»
Proposal Text
»
AB432: Bill Text

×

Details for

PDF view

Link
(Permanent link)

Bookmark this location

View toggle

Go to top of document

Search in this chapter

Search in this section

Search in this agency

Search in this chapter group

Search in this chapter

Search in this section

Cross references for section

Acts affecting this section

References to this

1970 Statutes Annotations

Appellate Court Citations

Administrative Code Index

Reference lines

Clear highlighting