Why payer-provider interoperability matters now
Healthcare payers and providers are under increasing pressure to modernize the exchange of administrative and clinical data. The CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule (CMS-0057-F) requires impacted payers to implement HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (HL7® FHIR®)-based APIs for prior authorization, provider access and payer-to-payer data exchange, with compliance deadlines already shaping technology roadmaps across the industry.
Manual prior authorization remains one of healthcare’s most persistent sources of administrative burden and provider abrasion. Faxes, phone calls and disconnected payer portals slow decision-making, delay care and increase operating costs for both sides of the transaction. Electronic prior authorization(ePA), built on HL7 FHIR and Da Vinci Project Implementation Guides such as Coverage Requirements Discovery (CRD), Documentation Templates and Rules (DTR) and Prior Authorization Support (PAS), replaces manual steps with real-time, standards-based data exchange.
TriZetto® Unify is designed for this moment. Rather than treating CMS-0057-F as a compliance exercise, Cognizant’s interoperability strategy connects payer core administration systems, provider EMRs and trading partner networks through a scalable foundation that can help reduce administrative costs, shorten prior authorization turnaround times and improve the accuracy of coverage decisions.
Our payer-provider interoperability strategy
At the heart of our TriZetto Unify strategy is a comprehensive framework combining provider, intermediary and payer experiences into one interoperability foundation. Built for scale, TriZetto delivers many-to-many interoperability—enabling multiple providers to seamlessly connect with various payers through a single platform.
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Provider connectivity for electronic prior authorization
Enabling provider participation and engagement through multiple connectivity options:
- Direct API connectivity with EMR and PMS
- SMART embedding on FHIR applications to keep providers in their workflows
- FHIR connectivity extension to providers by supporting their existing clearinghouse relationships
- Direct API connectivity with EMR and PMS
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Secure data exchange between payers and providers
Enabling trusted, accurate and resilient transactions across the healthcare ecosystem:
- Provider and trading partner onboarding and authentication
- Governance, validation, enrichment, orchestration and routing across FHIR and X12—bilingual data processing and exchange
- API hosting, translation and gateway management
- Provider and trading partner onboarding and authentication
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Payer compliance and utilization management tools
Enabling payers to manage oversight, compliance and innovation from one interface:
- Integrated with TriZetto core administration (Facets®, QNXT™) and care management systems (CareAdvance®, QNXT UM, Facets UM)
- Modular, open architecture supports compliance, analytics and care-quality workflows
- Integrated with TriZetto core administration (Facets®, QNXT™) and care management systems (CareAdvance®, QNXT UM, Facets UM)
Electronic prior authorization and clinical data exchange solutions
TriZetto delivers a suite of interoperable solutions that can be adopted individually or deployed as a fully connected digital fabric. Each component is designed to address critical areas of payer-provider collaboration, regulatory compliance and clinical data exchange:
- Electronic prior authorization (CRD, DTR, PAS)
- Clinical data exchange (CDeX)
- Provider access (clinical data APIs)
- Care gaps and quality measures (DEQM and GIC)
The business value of electronic prior authorization automation
The TriZetto Unify strategy is not just a compliance infrastructure—it is a transformational interoperability foundation:
- Enables faster, more accurate decisions by blending administrative and clinical workflows
- Reduces administrative costs by consolidating payer interfaces
- Reduces denials and delays through enriched, validated transactions
- Enhances health outcomes through bidirectional care gap and quality measure flows
- Provides seamless, multiple experiences for payers, providers and partners across healthcare
Awards and recognitions
Latest thinking
Healthcare interoperability insights and CMS-0057-F resources
TriZetto Unify enables faster, bidirectional payer-provider communications with richer sets of clinical and administrative data. It is open and built on industry standards such as HL7 FHIR and helps organizations comply with emerging interoperability regulations.
Disclaimer: HL7®, and HL7® FHIR® are registered trademarks of Health Level Seven International, and their use of these trademarks does not constitute an endorsement by HL7.
FAQs
Electronic prior authorization replaces manual fax- and phone-based workflows with automated, standards-based data exchange between payers and providers. It typically uses HL7® FHIR® APIs to submit requests, attach clinical documentation and support faster decisions.
The CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule (CMS-0057-F), requires impacted payers to implement FHIR-based APIs for prior authorization, patient access, provider access and payer-to-payer data exchange. It also introduces shorter decision turnaround times and public reporting of prior authorization metrics.
Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standardizes how clinical and administrative data is structured and exchanged. This enables real-time connectivity between provider EMRs and payer utilization management systems, replacing slower manual or X12-only processes.
CRD, DTR and PAS are Da Vinci Project Implementation Guides that support different steps in the prior authorization workflow. Coverage Requirements Discovery surfaces requirements at the point of care, Documentation Templates and Rules gathers required clinical documentation and Prior Authorization Support submits the request and returns a decision.
By automating documentation gathering, submission and decisioning, ePA reduces the staff time spent faxing, calling and re-keying data. It can also reduce denials caused by missing documentation and help shorten time to care.
Take the first step
Serving customers by looking forward as well as back is a big promise, but the power of today’s new digital healthcare solutions is vast and growing. Our expertise in healthcare IT services enables us to integrate cutting-edge technology seamlessly into your operations.
Let’s talk about how digital healthcare IT solutions can work for your business.