Working Healthcare · 2026-03-03 · 49 min
Pull back the curtain on prior authorization and find out why it keeps derailing care. Meredith Hirsh sits down with SamaCare CEO and founder Syam Palakurthy to unpack how the process shows up in real life, from administrative overload to vague denials that strain physician autonomy and patient trust. They get into the data behind claim denials, what those numbers signal and what they still fail to capture. Syam also gets candid about the CEO lifestyle, including the way leadership “owns you,” even when you’re trying to turn it off. He shares how his background shaped his path into healthcare tech and what it takes to keep a team aligned to mission when you can’t know every detail anymore. With two physician parents, he knows the clinical side up close, and he breaks down why clinical medicine is complex and why that complexity gets weaponized by process and paperwork. They close by zeroing in on what drives denials, whether prior auth has any legitimate purpose and what he would change in healthcare if he could pick just one lever. Because if you’ve ever read a denial after a long day, hit play, take a breath and let’s talk about what to do next.
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Ep. 115 - Rural Hospitals Are Vanishing - Tom Campanella Explains Why It Matters86 / 100
Ep. 109 - Downcodes, Takebacks and Timely Filing: How Payers Really Win (ft. Chris Acevedo)75 / 100
Ep. 108 - Where Did All the Doctors Go? A Surgeon and Medical School Dean on What We’re Losing (ft. Dr. Chad Perlyn)80 / 100
Ep. 107 - From War Zones to Break Rooms: What Healthcare Leaders Miss About Change (ft. Dr. Loubna Noureddin)75 / 100
Ep. 106 - Why Healthcare Keeps Saying No to Better Solutions (ft. Holley Miller)80 / 100
