Introducing the Stedi MCP server

Today, Stedi announces the release of its Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. AI agents can use Stedi’s MCP server to run eligibility checks and search payers.

A third of Stedi’s customers are generative AI companies building AI agents for revenue cycle management (RCM). Until now, connecting those agents to Stedi’s eligibility API meant writing custom integration code or copying parts of Stedi’s docs into instructions.

Stedi’s MCP server changes that.

It gives agents plug-and-play access to Stedi’s Real-Time Eligibility and Search Payers API endpoints, along with built-in guidance for common errors. You can connect your agents without having to write integration code or copy documentation.

I connected our agent to Stedi’s MCP server in minutes. Updated the instructions, and it started running eligibility checks right away.
- Rambo Wu, Engineering at Stratus

How it works

Your AI agent connects to the server using an MCP client. Once connected, the server gives your agent access to two types of capabilities – tools and prompts – as defined by the MCP server spec.

Tools perform specific actions, like running an eligibility check. They’re thin wrappers that let your agent invoke Stedi APIs – currently, the Real-Time Eligibility Check API endpoint and the Search Payers API endpoint.

Prompts help your agent decide what to do next, including how to recover from a failed check.

The following diagram show how your agent can use the MCP server to connect to Stedi’s APIs.

How to connect

The MCP server is a Streamable HTTP MCP server hosted at https://mcp.us.stedi.com/2025-07-11/mcp.

To connect your agent, add this configuration to your agent’s MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stedi-healthcare": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.us.stedi.com/2025-07-11/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "YOUR_STEDI_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_STEDI_API_KEY with your actual Stedi API key.

Tools

The server provides two tools:

• eligibility_check – Runs an eligibility check using the Real-Time Eligibility Check API endpoint. The server uses our JSON format, which provides the most reliable results for AI agents.
  
  

• search_for_payer –  Finds a Stedi payer based on a provided payer ID or name. It even works with partial names or typos. For example, cig finds Cigna. This tool is powered by the Search Payers API endpoint.

Prompts

The server provides prompts to help your agent recover from common errors. The prompt instructions cover the most common recoverable scenarios we see in production:

• How to handle common errors

• When to retry eligibility checks

• What to do when a payer isn't found

You and your agent stay in control of executing follow-up actions, such as troubleshooting and retries.

Tip: Many LLM clients skip MCP prompts unless explicitly instructed to read them. You'll often get better results by adding “Read the prompts from Stedi's MCP server” to the beginning of your agent’s instructions.

Example usage

You can instruct your agent to use the MCP server to run eligibility checks.

For example, if you’re building a voice agent, you might give your model an instruction like:

Read the prompts from Stedi's MCP server.Then use Stedi’s MCP server to check
the patient’s eligibility programmatically before making a telephone call to
the payer. Only call the payer if the response doesn’t include the benefits you need

You can also use the MCP server to perform one-off checks using MCP clients. If you're using a third-party tool like Claude or ChatGPT, follow your organization’s data handling policies to ensure that you stay compliant with HIPAA and other applicable requirements. For example, your organization likely requires a BAA with any third-party tool before using the tool with Stedi’s MCP server.

When to use the MCP server

The MCP server excels are one-off eligibility checks, especially when your agent needs to retrieve coverage data in real time.

For example:

• If you're building a voice agent that calls payers for benefits, use the MCP server to check eligibility first. Call the payer only  if the response doesn’t have what you need.
  
  

• If you're building an RCM workflow agent, use Stedi’s MCP server to validate a patient’s coverage before scheduling an appointment or submitting a claim.

For bulk eligibility checks, use our eligibility APIs directly. For tips, see When to use batch eligibility checks.

For benefit interpretation, like determining remaining visits, you'll want to layer your own logic on top, just as you would with our APIs.

Performance

The MCP server adds minimal overhead to our APIs. You’ll get the same fast response times with added intelligence for your agents.

Pricing

The MCP server is available on all paid Stedi plans at no additional cost beyond those for related API calls.

As with our APIs, there’s no charge for non-billable requests. See Billing for eligibility checks.

Security and compliance

The MCP server uses the same security model as our existing APIs, including TLS encryption and API key authentication. If you're using a third-party tool to interact with the MCP server, reach out to your security team and legal counsel to ensure you have the appropriate safeguards in place.

Try it out

If you’re a Stedi customer, you can start building with the MCP server today.

If you’re not, request a trial. We can get you up and running in less than a day.