Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama says it's reforms will provide a simpler, more efficient system for patients and doctors.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this week that several of the nation’s largest health insurers have agreed to change how they handle prior authorization, a system that often causes delays in care.

Months after the killing of a top health insurance executive unleashed Americans’ pent-up anger over denials of medical care, the industry announced Monday that it will take action to “streamline, simplify and reduce” the preapproval process.