Insight
Vice President of Network Operations
HIMSS 2026 sparked important conversations about the future of care connectivity, but the real momentum happens after the conference. For CoverMyMeds, HIMSS is a checkpoint in a much larger effort to simplify access, reduce process inefficiencies and accelerate therapy starts, especially in high complexity specialties where delays have real consequences.
Across discussions with providers, health system leaders and strategic partners, one message was clear: patient access challenges are intensifying. As therapies become more specialized and benefit structures continue to fragment, care teams are navigating an increasing number of portals, forms and disconnected workflows. In fact, sixty-three percent of clinicians identify these tasks as the most time-consuming.[0]https://www.covermymeds.health/about/newsroom/industry-first-integrated-medication-access Medical prior authorization remains one of the biggest friction points. Solving these issues requires more than incremental fixes; it calls for a truly connected platform that brings predictability, automation and scale to access workflows.
One of the strongest signals coming out of HIMSS was the need for access solutions built for high acuity areas of care, starting with oncology and ophthalmology. These specialties face a unique combination of medical benefit prior authorization, complex clinical documentation and coordination across multiple teams, all under urgent timelines.
The CoverMyMeds Specialty Access and Affordability Solutions were built for these realities. By unifying benefits investigation, medical and pharmacy prior authorization and patient services enrollment within an EHR connected experience, the solution helps care teams manage complexity without adding more systems to their day. Medical prior authorization isn’t treated as a separate workflow, it’s embedded directly into the core access journey, with intelligent routing and automation that reduce manual intervention.
Early availability of our new specialty solution in oncology and ophthalmology underscores both the urgency of the need and the opportunity ahead. These are the specialties where workflow fragmentation is most costly, and where providers are eager for tools that finally bring clarity and consistency to the process.
HIMSS also highlighted a shift in expectations around automation and AI. Providers who use AI in their consumer lives now expect that same experience inside their clinical workflow. They want AI-enabled tools that may support administrative tasks such as organizing information and routing workflows.
The solutions deliver the consistency providers are asking for:
Medical prior authorization is still where access breaks down most often. Embedding it within an interoperable platform reduces variability and helps care teams shift from reactive problem solving to proactive access management, designed for today’s needs and adaptable to tomorrow’s innovations.
Our vision for the future of patient access is grounded in interoperability and ecosystem connectivity. With deep integrations across the industry, the solution is built to scale, launching first in oncology and ophthalmology and expanding into additional therapeutic areas over time. This approach gives health systems two critical advantages:
Instead of piecing together tools or chasing point solution integrations, health systems gain a foundation that can evolve without constant reconfiguration.
HIMSS reinforced that the industry is ready for a more connected, more consistent approach to patient access – one that recognizes medical prior authorization as a central part of care delivery. But the real impact happens now, as organizations implement solutions that meaningfully streamline workflows, improve visibility and help patients start therapy sooner.
CoverMyMeds is committed to strategic partnerships with providers and health systems to reduce inefficiencies, unlock access and return valuable time to care teams. The work ahead is significant, but the path is clearer than ever.
Request a demo of the Specialty Access and Affordability Solutions to see how an EHR connected, unified access experience can simplify both medical and pharmacy prior authorization and help patients start therapy sooner.
