Free Tool
Prior Authorization
Time & Cost
See what staff time spent chasing prior authorizations costs you — and what you save by delegating it to a remote PA specialist.
Quick Answer
Prior authorizations quietly consume clinical and admin staff time at high loaded rates. Delegating PA follow-up to a dedicated remote specialist (around $7/hour) frees that time and cuts the cost sharply. Enter your weekly PA hours to see the savings.
Based on Zedtreeo's actual pricing. Dedicated remote staff from $1,056/month.
These figures are estimates for planning only. Your actual rate depends on role, scope, seniority, and engagement; market comparisons use representative benchmarks, not live quotes. Estimates only, not financial or medical-billing advice. No PHI is collected. Spotted a number that looks off, or have an idea to make this tool better? — we read every note and use it to improve these tools.
Methodology
How the Prior Authorization Time & Cost Calculator works
How the number is produced
- Annual PA hours = weekly staff hours you enter × 52.
- Current cost = annual hours × the loaded hourly rate of the staff doing it today.
- Zedtreeo cost = the same hours × $7/hour; savings = current − Zedtreeo.
Assumptions built in
- Hour-for-hour substitution — a dedicated specialist often clears PAs faster than clinical staff fitting them in, which would increase the saving.
- Clinical time freed is reported as hours, not valued in dollars.
Benchmarks & sources
- AMA — 2024 Prior Authorization Physician Survey (fielded December 2024, n=1,000) (2025)Used for: context: ~39 PA requests and ~13 physician/staff hours per physician per week; the calculator uses the hours you enter, not the survey average.
- CAQH Index — cost and time of administrative transactions (2024)Used for: evidence that manual prior authorization, eligibility and claim-status work carries a measurable per-transaction staff cost; we do not import its dollar figures — you enter your own hours and loaded rate.
- Zedtreeo Rate Index (2026)Used for: the offshore hourly rate per role used on the Zedtreeo side of every comparison — the same figures quoted on our service pages.
Methodology and constants last reviewed against the Zedtreeo pricing engine and Rate Index. Estimates are for planning; your quote depends on role, scope and engagement.
Prior Authorization Time & Cost Calculator FAQs
Common questions about this tool and the roles behind it.
PA work is high-volume, rules-based follow-up that doesn't require your clinical staff. Moving it to a dedicated remote specialist cuts the cost and frees clinical time — while you keep oversight.
Request a quote and we'll shortlist pre-vetted candidates matched to your needs within 48 hours, with a free 5-day trial so you can confirm fit before committing.
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Ready to Put This Into Action?
Zedtreeo places pre-vetted remote staff from $1,056/month with a free 5-day trial — replacement at no cost, no contracts.
