Video: Leaders Share How They Dramatically Streamlined the Prior Authorization Process Flow

For a moment, Angela Odham thought it was a trick question.

The question: What kind of training process did she need to implement to roll out Touchless Prior Authorization to providers at UNC Health?

The deceptively simple answer: None.

That’s how seamless their prior authorization process flow became for medications eligible for Touchless Prior Authorization.

At HIMSS25, Odham joined Lauren Hackenberg of Optum Rx and Surescripts’ Tara Dragert and Andrew Mellin, M.D., to unpack how their organizations reimagined the prior authorization process to get results like:

• Approvals in an average of 29 seconds, so more patients can start treatment right away (and pharmacies get prescriptions that are already authorized)
• 43% of eligible requests approved without manual intervention, lifting administrative burden for providers
• 88% fewer appeals, meaning payers are getting more of the information they need for approval the first time

Watch the video to learn how they made it happen: