Big insurance companies are finally responding to public frustration by promising to cut the red tape around prior approvals—those annoying delays that leave patients waiting to find out if their treatments or tests will be covered. The key change? Faster decisions, so you might actually get an answer before leaving the doctor’s office instead of weeks later.

Editor’s Note: If you’ve ever been stuck in insurance limbo—waiting for approval while your health hangs in the balance—this could be a big deal. Insurers are under fire for dragging their feet, and while promises aren’t the same as results, faster approvals could mean less stress for patients and fewer bureaucratic headaches for doctors. Let’s see if they actually follow through.