AI clinical conversation platform Abridge is partnering with health information network Availity to launch a real-time prior authorization tool integrated into clinician workflows.
The collaboration connects Abridge’s AI platform, used by more than 200 health systems and projected to support over 80 million clinician-patient conversations in 2026, with Availity’s FHIR-native utilization management solution, which helps digitize and operationalize coverage requirements, according to a Jan. 12 news release from Abridge.
The goal is to streamline how clinicians and health plans exchange information during medical necessity reviews by using shared clinical context captured during patient visits.
The companies described the real-time prior authorization effort as part of a broader revenue cycle collaboration aimed at applying conversational intelligence across patient, provider and payer interactions. Areas of focus include simplifying prior authorization during visits, identifying documentation gaps as conversations occur, improving authorization accuracy and reducing administrative burden for clinicians and health plans.
Abridge has been expanding its AI capabilities beyond clinical documentation into administrative workflows such as prior authorization. In August, the company announced a separate partnership with Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health to co-design an AI-powered prior authorization solution at the point of care.
