Outsourced Prior Authorizations

It will come as no surprise to most providers that according to the AMA, each week, prior authorizations consume an average of 1 hour of physician time, 13.1 hours of nurse time, and 6.3 hours of clerical staff time. The cost is somewhere around $80,000 per year for a single practice. Have you ever spent 45 minutes on hold with a health insurance company, only to have to abandon the call to take care of a patient? Then start all over again...
Besides being time consuming, prior authorizations can disrupt a practice’s workflow. They jam the phone lines with outbound calls and take clinicians away from patients.

Each payer may have their own forms, processes, and requirements, which can be frustrating for staff to keep up with.

 

Outsourcing prior authorizations has multiple benefits:

• Save money through economies of scale and improved efficiency

• Get patients faster access to procedures and tests

• Improve staff morale and retention

It makes sense that more providers are choosing to outsource prior authorizations. Fortunately, outsourcing prior authorizations is an easy change to make, relieving overburdened nurses and team members so that they can focus on patient care. You can even get started today.