Humana and athenahealth expand electronic prior authorization nationwide
Humana and athenahealth expanded electronic prior authorization across athenahealth's network of more than 180,000 clinicians, so requests can be handled inside the EHR. The companies say that in September more than 6,000 providers ran nearly 35,000 electronic prior authorization transactions with Humana, and over 70% finished without extra information from practice staff. The two were named early adopters in CMS's electronic prior authorization initiative.
Why it's notable: It moves a payer-EHR prior authorization workflow that began as a small collaboration into routine use for independent ambulatory practices. The usage figures come from the companies themselves, so independent results are still to come.