CMS announced that a growing list of major healthcare organizations are participating in its Electronic Prior Authorization Acceleration initiative, including national payers, large health systems, EHR vendors, and interoperability networks.

The announcement signals increasing industry alignment around electronic prior authorization modernization as organizations prepare for CMS interoperability requirements scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027.

Organizations participating in the initiative include provider systems such as Cleveland Clinic, Providence, Sanford Health, Rush University System for Health, Ochsner Health, and Bon Secours Mercy Health. Major EHR and technology organizations participating include Epic, Oracle, athenahealth, MEDITECH, eClinicalWorks, and TruBridge.

CMS also highlighted participation from major payer organizations that previously signed the agency’s prior authorization reform pledge, including Aetna, Cigna, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Elevance Health, Highmark Blue Shield, and Blue Shield of California.

According to CMS, the initiative is designed to help organizations move beyond technical readiness and address real-world operational challenges tied to electronic prior authorization workflows, interoperability integration, authorization visibility, and reduction of manual processes such as fax and portal-based submissions.

The initiative supports broader implementation efforts tied to the CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule, which established electronic prior authorization requirements, FHIR-based API standards, prior authorization decision timelines, and public reporting requirements for impacted payers ahead of the January 1, 2027 compliance deadline.

CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz stated that prior authorization reform requires collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem and indicated additional organizations are expected to join the initiative as implementation efforts continue.

Source: CMS Newsroom | CMS Announces Early Adopters to Advance Solutions for Electronic Prior Authorization, Accelerating Momentum Ahead of 2027 Requirements