# Research prior authorization requirements
URL: https://backworkhealth.com/docs/api/researchPriorAuth

Use AI-powered web research to find prior authorization requirements directly from payer websites.

**Endpoint:** `POST /api/v1/prior-auth/research`

**Availability:** Live in production.

**Authentication:** API key in `Authorization: Bearer <key>` with the `read` scope.

Use AI-powered web research to find prior authorization requirements directly from payer websites. Supports async mode (returns `research_id` and `poll_url` for polling) or synchronous mode (`sync: true`, waits up to two minutes). Every source in `result.sources` is a page the research cited for a field of the result. `clinical_context` is rejected: submit only rule-level `structured_coverage_context` fields. If the research provider is unavailable the call fails with a retryable `SERVER_UPSTREAM_UNAVAILABLE` and is not charged. Cost: 8 requests per call.

**Parameters**

* `procedure_codes` (body, required): CPT/HCPCS codes to research
* `payer` (body): Specific payer name (e.g., "UnitedHealthcare", "Aetna")
* `state` (body): Two-letter state code for jurisdiction-specific policies
* `diagnosis_codes` (body): ICD-10 diagnosis codes for rule-level context
* `structured_coverage_context` (body): Optional allowlisted, non-identifying coverage context. `payer` and `state` must match the top-level values when both are given.
* `sync` (body): If true, wait up to two minutes for completion; a run still going after that comes back with its `poll_url`. If false, return research\_id for polling.

**Example request**

```bash
curl -X POST "https://backworkhealth.com/api/v1/prior-auth/research" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BACKWORK_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "procedure_codes": [
    "27447"
  ]
}'
```

**Example response** (`200`)

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "research_id": "res_abc123",
    "status": "pending",
    "created_at": "2026-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    "finished_at": "2026-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    "poll_url": "/api/v1/prior-auth/research/res_abc123",
    "result": {
      "determination": {
        "pa_required": true,
        "confidence": "high",
        "reasoning": "string"
      },
      "payer_policies": [
        {
          "payer_name": "string",
          "policy_name": "string",
          "policy_url": "string",
          "effective_date": "string",
          "summary": "string"
        }
      ],
      "documentation_requirements": [
        {
          "requirement": "string",
          "mandatory": true,
          "notes": "string"
        }
      ],
      "medical_necessity_criteria": [
        {
          "criterion": "string",
          "category": "diagnosis"
        }
      ],
      "coverage_limitations": [
        {
          "limitation": "string",
          "applies_to": "string"
        }
      ],
      "timeline": {
        "standard_review_days": 0,
        "expedited_review_days": 0,
        "approval_validity_days": 0
      },
      "appeal_process": {
        "levels": 0,
        "timeframe_days": 0,
        "notes": "string"
      },
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "string",
          "url": "string",
          "relevance": "string"
        }
      ]
    },
    "cost": {
      "num_searches": 0,
      "num_pages": 0,
      "reasoning_tokens": 0,
      "total_dollars": 0
    },
    "error": "string"
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "string",
    "timestamp": "2026-01-15T10:30:00Z"
  }
}
```