Why Prior Authorization Delays Are Silently Costing Practices Millions

Discover How Executive Clinics Are Recovering $50K+ in Monthly Revenue

In U.S. healthcare, prior authorization (PA) is meant to control costs—but in reality, it’s costing practices millions in lost revenue and eroding patient satisfaction. According to an AMA survey, 94% of physicians report that PA delays harm patient care, and 34% say it has led to a serious adverse event. For practices, every day of delay isn’t just a scheduling inconvenience—it’s a direct hit to patient trust, operational flow, and cash flow.

At Finnastra, we specialize in Healthcare Prior Authorization Services that remove these bottlenecks. Our proven workflows accelerate approvals, prevent denials, and free your team from the administrative grind.

The Measurable Impact of Delays

Industry Benchmark:

• Average PA turnaround time: 3–7 business days for commercial payers, up to 14 days for Medicaid
• Average revenue delay per case: $2,500–$5,000 for procedures on hold
• Claim denial risk: PAs account for 15–20% of initial claim denials, most due to documentation errors

For example:
If your clinic handles 200 prior auth requests per month and just 10% are delayed or denied, you’re potentially putting $50,000–$100,000 in monthly revenue at risk—not to mention the staff hours spent chasing approvals.

The Real Costs You Might Not See

Beyond delayed reimbursement, PA delays create ripple effects:

1. Patient Leakage – Patients frustrated by delays may seek care elsewhere.
2. Increased Cancellations – Last-minute denials force rescheduling, disrupting provider schedules.
3. Staff Overtime Costs – Repeated follow-ups and rework increase payroll expenses.
4. Lower Provider Productivity – Physicians spend time managing PA exceptions instead of seeing patients.

Question for Providers:
How much is it costing your practice annually when 5–10% of cases are delayed by just three days?

Why Delays Happen in the First Place

The primary causes of prior auth delays are well-documented:

• Incomplete insurance verification before request submission
• Insufficient clinical documentation or wrong coding
• Lack of payer-specific compliance knowledge
• Poor tracking and escalation procedures
• Overloaded internal staff with no dedicated PA specialists

These challenges aren’t isolated—they are systemic, which is why many practices struggle to fix them without an external partner.

How Finnastra Eliminates the Delay Problem

When you work with a dedicated Prior Authorization Services Company like Finnastra, you get a turnkey, data-driven process that’s built for speed, accuracy, and compliance.

Our solution covers every stage:

1. Comprehensive Insurance & Eligibility Verification

1. • We perform real-time insurance verification services and eligibility verification services before initiating requests, eliminating rework.

1. Payer-Specific Submission Precision

1. • Each payer has different documentation and medical necessity rules. Our team builds every submission to meet exact requirements the first time.

1. Dedicated PA Specialists & Tracking

1. • Requests are tracked in real-time. Pending cases are escalated before deadlines are missed.

1. Denial Prevention & Audit Preparedness

1. • Our submissions are structured to withstand both pre-service and post-service audits.

Result:
Our clients report 40–60% faster approvals, over 90% first-pass success rates, and significant drops in rescheduled or cancelled procedures.

Case Example: A Multi-Specialty Clinic

A 12-provider multi-specialty clinic partnered with Finnastra after struggling with:

• Average PA turnaround: 6 days
• Approval success rate: 72% on first submission
• $80,000+ in monthly delayed revenue

Within 90 days of implementation:

• Turnaround dropped to 2.4 days
• First-pass approval rate rose to 94%
• Monthly delayed revenue decreased by $65,000
• Staff reclaimed 25+ hours/week from admin work

The Executive Advantage

• Faster Revenue Realization – Shorter turnaround equals quicker billing and reimbursement.
• Reduced Denial Rates – More clean approvals mean fewer unpaid claims.
• Operational Efficiency – Your clinical staff focuses on patients, not paperwork.
• Scalability – Handle seasonal or growth spikes without hiring additional FTEs.

Our Prior Authorization Services are designed to simplify the process, protect your revenue, and safeguard patient care.

When you partner with a leading Prior Authorization Services company like Finnastra, you don’t just speed up approvals—you transform a costly bottleneck into a competitive advantage.

Provider Takeaway:
If you’re losing even one day per authorization, you’re losing revenue, patient trust, and operational efficiency. The fix is not adding more in-house staff—it’s partnering with specialists who get it right the first time.

Ready to see measurable improvements in 30 days?
Let’s discuss how Finnastra can become your outsourced PA department—delivering faster approvals, higher accuracy, and more revenue.

Learn more about our Prior Auth Services and Schedule a Consultation