Kestrel is a healthcare technology company based in New York, building prior authorization infrastructure for independent specialty practices. We were founded in 2025 and are backed by CAI Systems.
Prior authorization is the single largest administrative burden in U.S. healthcare. Every year, practices spend billions of dollars and millions of staff hours navigating payer requirements, chasing approvals, and resubmitting denied requests. For independent and small-group practices, the burden is disproportionate — they face the same documentation requirements as large health systems but without dedicated utilization management teams.
The result: delayed patient care, lost revenue, and staff burnout. Kestrel exists to change that.
$93B
spent annually on PA administration in the U.S.
34%
of physicians report care delays due to prior auth
14hrs
per week physicians spend on PA paperwork
1 in 3
prior auth requests are initially denied
Sources: AMA 2024 Prior Authorization Survey, CAQH 2023 Index Report
Kestrel integrates directly with electronic health record systems to read clinical context, extract the information payers require, and match documentation against payer-specific rules — all before the request is submitted. When a request is denied, Kestrel helps coordinators draft appeal letters and prepare for peer-to-peer reviews using the clinical evidence already on file.
We built Kestrel specifically for the practices that need it most: independent orthopedic groups, surgical centers, and specialty clinics that process dozens of authorizations per week without the infrastructure of a large hospital system.
Full visibility into why a prior auth was approved, denied, or delayed — and a clear path to resolution.
Prior authorization workflows that take days are compressed into minutes. Staff time is redirected to patient care.
Enterprise-grade authorization automation, purpose-built for independent specialty practices.
HIPAA-compliant architecture with AES-256 encryption, BAA-covered infrastructure, and no third-party analytics or tracking.
Kestrel is developed and operated by CAI Systems, a healthcare technology studio focused on building infrastructure for clinical operations. We are self-funded and operationally independent.