Waystar Expands Authorization Automation to Meet Healthcare Providers’ 2025 Priorities
Waystar (Nasdaq: WAY), a leading provider of healthcare payment software, has introduced the Auth Accelerate solution, a significant enhancement to its automation capabilities aimed at simplifying the prior authorization process for healthcare providers.
Prior authorization is one of the most significant administrative burdens faced by healthcare providers. According to a third-party survey, providers have identified automation for patient access, including prior authorizations, as their top investment priority for revenue cycle management in 2025. The process of securing payer approval involves navigating complex rules, performing continuous status checks, and can take up to 24 minutes per authorization. With tens of millions of prior authorizations taking place annually, this labor-intensive task contributes to healthcare’s mounting administrative load. A recent survey by the American Medical Association found that over 25% of physicians reported that prior authorization led to serious adverse events for their patients, while 78% cited delays that caused patients to abandon care.
Waystar’s Auth Accelerate is designed to automate the entire prior authorization submission workflow, dramatically improving efficiency. Data from clients who have implemented the solution shows that Auth Accelerate reduces submission times by 70% and boosts auto-approval rates to 85%. By streamlining this process, it directly addresses a critical administrative challenge, increasing productivity, reducing patient care delays, and preventing labor-intensive denials. Additionally, the system reduces the average wait time for payer approval by 75%, cutting the wait from over four days to just one day or less.
“Prior authorization remains a significant challenge for healthcare providers, placing a heavy strain on resources and negatively impacting patient care,” said Matt Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer of Waystar. “With advanced automation, Waystar Auth Accelerate transforms this process, allowing providers to focus more on patient care rather than administrative tasks. We are committed to delivering impactful innovations that help providers get paid more quickly and accurately, while also offering patients a modern and transparent financial experience.”
Prisma Health, the largest healthcare organization in South Carolina serving over 1.6 million unique patients annually, was one of the first to implement Waystar’s Auth Accelerate. Patrick Griffin, Executive Director of Revenue Cycle for Prisma Health, explained, “Prior authorizations are one of our biggest administrative challenges. By working with innovative partners like Waystar, we are able to create high-impact solutions that improve operational efficiency and enhance patient care.”
The growing reliance on Waystar’s cloud-based software platform reflects its increasing success in helping providers tackle major administrative obstacles, such as prior authorizations. Waystar’s Patient Access solutions were named Best in KLAS in January, underscoring its leadership in delivering impactful tools for healthcare providers. In addition to Auth Accelerate, the company recently launched Waystar AltitudeAI™, a comprehensive suite of AI-driven capabilities designed to further streamline healthcare processes. One of the standout features of AltitudeAI is AltitudeCreate™, a generative AI innovation aimed at helping providers successfully appeal denied claims.
Waystar’s innovations go beyond prior authorization and claim management. The company’s enterprise-grade platform processes over 6 billion healthcare payment transactions each year, representing more than $1.8 trillion in annual gross claims. Serving around 30,000 clients, including 16 of the 20 institutions on the U.S. News Best Hospitals list, Waystar’s software optimizes financial performance while helping providers focus on what matters most: patient care.
“Our mission is to simplify healthcare payments so providers can dedicate more time to their patients,” said Hawkins. “By continuing to innovate and provide meaningful solutions like Waystar Auth Accelerate, we aim to transform healthcare payments and make a real difference in the way healthcare organizations operate.”
Waystar is committed to supporting providers as they navigate the complex and often time-consuming administrative aspects of healthcare. With Auth Accelerate, the company is delivering a solution that not only reduces the administrative burden but also improves operational efficiency and, most importantly, enhances the patient experience. As providers increasingly turn to technology to address the challenges of prior authorization, Waystar’s automation tools stand at the forefront of the transformation of healthcare payment processes.
