GuideWell subsidiary Florida Blue is using Olive-created artificial intelligence to reduce the turnaround time for prior authorizations by an average of 10 days.
The payer announced the move Feb. 17, making it the first U.S. insurer to use AI-powered clinical reviews to automate its prior authorization process.
"Olive's AI platform helps GuideWell create a best-in-class utilization management model that reduces the administrative burden on our providers while creating a better experience for our members," said Elana Schrader, MD, Florida Blue senior vice president of healthcare services and GuideWell Health president. "By being the first health plan to automate approvals, we are leading the way for insurers to close the technology gap to better serve our members and providers."
The payer launched a pilot program with Olive in 2021, revealing that authorization with immediate responses saw turnarounds timelines shrink by 10 days. In some cases, the new platform allows some patients to receive prior authorization approvals before they leave their provider's facility, according to the announcement.
The platform also reduced unnecessary prior authorization requests by 27 percent.
GuideWell will roll out the platform to its companies from April to July, ultimately affecting 2.5 million members.