Payer Scorecard 2026: Practices cite low pay, denials and prior auth surge

Fact checked by: Chris Mazzolini, Cheney Gazzam Baltz

The 2026 Payer Scorecard shows practices face low reimbursement and soaring prior auth and denials, while payer service lags, squeezing revenue cycles.

Physician practices are juggling more payers, more prior authorizations and stubbornly low satisfaction with the basics of doing business with insurers, according to the 2026 Physicians Practice Payer Scorecard.