Delaware is going first. The work can be shared.
Delaware is bringing public leadership, health plans, providers, DHIN and technology partners together around electronic prior authorization. The goal is not simply to replace paper with APIs. It is to remove repeated work and make the process clearer for people and care teams.
From announcement to implementation
The initiative was announced in July 2026, followed by the July 13 launch event and synthetic-data Connectathon.
On August 31, the first market-readiness session brought together 53 participants. Teams worked through testing capacity, provider reach, EHR and workflow gaps, and repeated counterparty test plans.
The question was practical: which work can be shared, and what still needs to happen for a provider and plan to use the connection together?
The road to January
The planned schedule combines regular working sessions with hands-on testing and preparation for live use.
| When | Shared work |
|---|---|
| August 31 | First market-readiness session, held with 53 participants. |
| September 28 | Next readiness session: testing progress, provider connections and obstacles to resolve. |
| October 14 | Virtual Prior Authorization Connectathon: test workflows together. |
| October 26 | Readiness session: address defects and expand the combinations tested. |
| November 30 | Readiness session: operational preparation, support and contingencies. |
| December | Practice workflows and complete final readiness reviews. |
| January 2027 | Target first live workflows whose participating systems meet the requirements; continue expanding. |
Contact the team for participation details and schedule updates. Synthetic testing is open between sessions.
What the work should deliver
A provider can submit a request. A plan can ask for more information or return a decision. The relevant users can see the latest update and know who needs to act. The teams know how to resolve a failure and who supplies support.
The implementation should also make later connections easier. Record the work reused and the effort that remains, rather than count an announcement or registration as a completed result.
A starting point for other markets
Other states and organizations can join the shared learning without building a parallel program. Bring the systems and partners you already have and identify what Delaware’s work can help you reuse.
Participation remains voluntary. The state retains its own program authority, and each organization retains its decisions and responsibilities.
Join the next step
Name an implementation lead. Bring a workflow or an obstacle. Start a synthetic test or join the next readiness discussion.
Announcements and coverage
Read the original state announcement, July event recap and related coverage for the history of the initiative.
Historical sources: Original state announcement → · July event recap → · Axios coverage →