CLEVELAND, Ohio — A new Medicare pilot program set to launch next year in Ohio and other states could change the way older Americans access certain medical treatments, drawing sharp criticism from physicians, patient advocates and some lawmakers.

Medicare recipients need to know that gaining approval for some medical procedures could take longer, and caregivers may have to submit more paperwork to get prior authorization, health policy experts said.

The initiative from the Trump administration, known as the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model, is designed to reduce fraud, waste and abuse in traditional Medicare. It would require prior authorization for about a dozen procedures that federal officials say account for billions in spending each year.

Ohio is one of

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