Prior Authorization

A requirement by health insurance companies that a healthcare provider obtain approval before a prescribed medication or treatment is covered. Prior authorization processes often involve multi-step bureaucratic procedures — submitting documentation, waiting for review, handling denials and appeals — that create significant cognitive accessibility barriers. For people with executive dysfunction, ADHD, or other cognitive disabilities, these processes demand sustained attention, follow-through, and time management across multiple interactions with different entities, representing a significant access barrier to healthcare. The process is particularly problematic for Schedule II medications used to treat ADHD, creating a paradox where obtaining treatment requires the very capabilities the condition impairs.