Humana and athenahealth are expanding electronic prior authorizations nationwide in a newly announced collaboration.
Through athenaPayer, Humana is able to connect with more than 180,000 providers across the athenaOne network, which the partners said will create a more connected experience between the health plan and clinicians.
“Every phone call, fax and portal log-in adds work for a practice trying to get a patient the care they need,” said Paul Brient, athenahealth chief product and operations officer, in a statement. “Prior authorization shouldn’t require care teams to navigate a different process for every health plan. By connecting health plans and practices through one solution with a common workflow, we’re creating a more scalable way to exchange information, reducing work for both providers and payers while, most importantly, helping patients access care faster.”
Athenahealth internal data show more than 6,000 providers processed nearly 35,000 electronic prior authorizations with Humana in September, with more than 70% completed without requiring additional information from staff.
The collaboration reflects Humana’s broader strategy to improve care access through requiring less prior authorizations and making the process simpler when needed, executives said.
“Our goal is straightforward: help people get the right care at the right time while reducing unnecessary burden on the physicians and care teams who serve them,” said Traci Granston, M.D., Humana vice president of clinical innovation and trend, in a statement. “… This collaboration with athenahealth is another step forward, ensuring that providers spend less time navigating administrative processes and more time focused on patient care.”
In June 2025, insurers nationwide—including Humana—agreed to take steps to reform prior authorization, including supporting electronic prior authorizations.