WEBINAR
A billion-dollar shift is coming to drug prior authorization — are you ready?
Expert insights into the CMS 2026/27 mandate reshaping how drug prior authorization gets done and what payers, providers, pharmacies, and pharma need to do now.
Date: Thursday, August 27, 2026
Time: 12:00–1:00 PM EST
Format: Live panel discussion with Q&A
Faster prior authorization sounds like good news. But faster approvals also mean faster denials — and for drug prior authorization, that shift is about to become federal policy.
CMS-0057-F is already final, moving prior authorization onto electronic, time-bound, publicly reported rails by January 1, 2027. Now the proposed CMS-0062-P would extend that same discipline to drugs, splitting them across a medical-benefit track (FHIR) and a pharmacy-benefit track (NCPDP) that have to work in sync — with key provisions targeted for October 1, 2027, if finalized.
Our panel brings clinical, payer, pharmacy, economic, and interoperability perspectives into one room — to explain what's changing, and how to assess your own readiness.
What we will cover:
- What the mandate requires, and the timelines that matter — with final CMS-0057-F obligations kept clearly distinct from proposed CMS-0062-P drug provisions
- What happens today when a drug needs prior authorization, and where it breaks down
- How faster, standards-based authorization changes things for each stakeholder — and for the patient
- The technical implications for payers, providers, pharmacies, and PBMs — and how to start planning
Save your seat
Join a live expert panel and Q&A on the CMS drug prior authorization mandate, and get Star's self-assessment tool to map where you stand against the new requirements.
Meet the panelists
A moderated panel discussion, with each speaker representing a real stakeholder in the drug prior authorization ecosystem — provider, payer and pharmacy, healthcare economics, and interoperability. You'll hear the same shift from every angle that matters to your organization, then get your questions answered live.
Mahesh Naphade is the Global Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Star, where he drives strategy and client partnerships to accelerate innovation across biopharma, medical device and healthcare organizations. With over 25 years of experience, he has led global initiatives to advance drug discovery, optimize clinical trials and improve patient engagement through AI, data science and digital engineering. Mahesh previously held senior roles at Apexon (a Goldman Sachs company), Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, Atos (Syntel).
Dr. Jennifer Bepple
Double Board-Certified Urologist & Clinical Informaticist
Dr. Jennifer Bepple is a double board-certified urologist and clinical informaticist with extensive executive leadership experience as CMIO and CMO across digital health. Combining bedside clinical expertise with deep knowledge of EHR workflow integration, emerging technology, and digital care models, she brings a vital provider perspective on how the CMS-0062-P mandate impacts clinical operations, administrative burden, and specialty patient care.
Dr. Arliesha Strauder
Managed Care & Prior Authorization Pharmacy Expert
Dr. Arliesha Strauder is a licensed pharmacist specializing in managed care, PBM operations, and utilization management. With extensive hands-on experience reviewing Medicare Part D prior authorizations at OptumRx, she brings deep expertise in evaluating clinical criteria, formulary guidelines, and dual-track coverage determinations. Dr. Strauder offers invaluable payer and pharmacy insights into how automated workflows under CMS-0062-P will reshape PBM operations, regulatory compliance, and timely patient access.
Rutvik Joglekar
Healthcare Economist & Founder, RJ Health Analytics
Rutvik Joglekar is a healthcare economist and founder of RJ Health Analytics, specializing in modeling payer behavior, reimbursement trends, and claim dispute outcomes using large administrative datasets. With degrees from the University of Chicago and MIT Sloan, he helps healthcare organizations quantify economic damage and recover revenue from denied claims. Rutvik brings a sharp financial perspective on how standardized PA data under CMS-0062-P will transform denial management, payer accountability, and hospital revenue cycles.
Yanick Gaudet is an Interoperability Solution Architect in Star’s Healthcare & Life Science practice. With over three decades of experience, he has been deeply involved in every stage of the system development life cycle, from requirements definition and system design to implementation, training and post-production support. Yanick specializes in health data integration and has helped organizations build interoperable and scalable healthcare and MedTech solutions. At Star, he partners with global clients to enable seamless data exchange and unlock the full potential of connected healthcare.
You'll leave with:
- A clear, accurate picture of what the mandate requires — and what's final versus proposed
- An understanding of how the drug prior authorization workflow changes for every stakeholder in the chain
- A practical sense of the technical and operational work ahead — and where to start
- Access to a self-assessment tool to help map your current state against the new requirements
Drug prior authorization is becoming a regulated interoperability mandate. Join us to understand the shift — and to leave with an honest read on where you stand and what to do next.
