WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CAQH, the trusted data connector at the core of healthcare, today released the 2025 CAQH Index, the industry’s leading benchmark on administrative automation. The report finds that U.S. healthcare avoided an estimated $258 billion in administrative costs in 2024 through electronic transactions and improved data exchange, reflecting more than two decades of progress despite ongoing challenges following the 2024 Change Healthcare cyberattack.

For more than a decade, the CAQH Index has provided the most comprehensive view of administrative automation in U.S. healthcare. Built on data from more than 600 provider organizations and health plans representing 63 percent of insured lives, the Index analyzes national transaction volume, method, cost and completion time to identify where automation is reducing burden and where further opportunity exists.

These insights help organizations focus investments where they will have the greatest impact and cut waste.

New Interactive CAQH Index Pro Platform

This year, CAQH is also introducing Index Pro, an interactive analytics platform that turns Index data into personalized business intelligence.

Index Pro subscribers can:

• Identify cost drivers with the ROI Calculator
• Benchmark performance with the Interactive Chartbook
• Turn data into action with Ask the Index AI and CAQH Advisory support
  
  

“Healthcare leaders are under pressure to reduce administrative costs without disrupting care,” said Sarah Ahmad, CEO of CAQH. “The CAQH Index shows how everyday processes like eligibility, claims and prior authorization are handled today and what they cost. Index Pro helps leaders understand their own numbers, measure the return on automation and prioritize changes that free up time and resources for patient care.”

Key Findings From the 2025 CAQH Index

The 2025 CAQH Index highlights measurable progress, even after one of the most significant cyber incidents in healthcare history. Key findings include:

• A 17 percent increase in administrative cost avoidance through automated transactions
• A 9 percent reduction in medical administrative spend and a 4 percent reduction in dental administrative spend
• More than 50 percent of health plans and 25 percent of provider organizations use AI tools in administrative workflows
• A remaining $21 billion savings opportunity through full automation of manual and partially manual transactions

“Our healthcare system is complex, but behind every transaction is a patient seeking care and a provider working to deliver it,” said Erin Weber, Chief Policy and Research Officer at CAQH. “This year’s Index shows that even amid major disruption, electronic workflows helped keep care and payments moving, easing the strain on providers and creating a more stable experience for patients.”

The report also documents growing adoption of FHIR-based exchange ahead of January 2027 requirements, as well as increased use of AI and machine learning in core administrative workflows.

About CAQH
CAQH is the trusted data connector at the core of healthcare. For more than 25 years, the organization has powered the industry with the largest and most complete healthcare data foundation in the U.S., with more than 4.8 million provider data records sourced directly from providers and member data on 75% of covered lives supplied by health plans. By improving how essential information flows across the system, CAQH helps healthcare operate more efficiently and with greater confidence. Learn more at CAQH.org.

Media Contact:
Samantha Holvey
Senior Writer, Public Relations
CAQH
sholvey@caqh.org