Prior auth that doesn't bottleneck your OR schedule
Every orthopedic practice has a staff member who spends their day re-typing chart notes into insurance portals. ClinicFlow submits imaging and surgical prior auths automatically — notes, imaging reads, and all.
The most expensive data entry in your practice
Prior authorization is where surgical revenue goes to wait. The clinical decision is made — the surgeon wants the MRI, the case is indicated — but the approval sits behind a manual workflow: log into a payer portal, re-type information that already exists in the chart, upload documents, check back in 3 days. Multiply that across every MRI and every case, and prior auth becomes a full-time job that gates your OR schedule.
How ClinicFlow automates it
- The auth need is identified. An imaging order or surgical case that requires authorization enters the queue.
- ClinicFlow assembles the documentation. The relevant patient notes and imaging reads are pulled together — the same documents your staff would gather by hand.
- The submission goes to the payer. ClinicFlow uploads the documentation through the insurance portal or the payer's backend APIs where available.
- Your team keeps visibility. The practice sees the status of each authorization without owning the data entry.
What changes
- MRIs get approved sooner, which means diagnoses happen sooner and treatment plans stop stalling.
- Surgical cases book with confidence instead of penciling in OR time and hoping the auth clears.
- Staff hours come back. The person who lived in payer portals gets their day back for work that needs judgment.
- Fewer dropped auths. Automated submission doesn't forget to check back on day 3.
Prior authorization automation is currently rolling out to ClinicFlow practices. Book a demo to get on the list.
Related: Prior authorization automation in orthopedics · Referral management · 24/7 scheduling
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of prior authorizations does ClinicFlow handle?
Imaging prior auth (MRI, CT, and advanced imaging) and surgical prior auth — the two categories that dominate an orthopedic practice's authorization workload and directly gate the OR schedule.
How does the automation actually submit the auth?
ClinicFlow uploads the relevant patient notes and imaging reads through the insurance portal or through the payer's backend APIs where available, attaching the documentation the payer needs to make a determination.
Why do prior auth delays matter so much for orthopedics?
An unapproved MRI delays a diagnosis; an unapproved surgery delays OR booking, and the case can slip weeks. Every day an auth sits in a queue is a day added to the patient's episode of care and a day of schedule uncertainty for the surgeon.
Does this replace my prior auth staff?
It removes the repetitive submission work — logging into portals, re-typing clinical information, attaching documents. Your team keeps oversight of the queue and handles payer follow-ups that need a human, with far fewer of them.
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