UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield and other health insurers plan fixes to prioer authorization, a common source of consumer complaints.

Doctors say delays from requests that are eventually approved or coverage rejections can harm patients by giving a disease time to progress untreated. They also can spike anxiety in patients who want to know whether their tumor has stopped growing and if insurance will cover the scan.

Some of the nation's health insurers say they're taking steps to speed the process by which doctors approve medical care.