Some insurance companies want prior authorization from them before performing surgery. That might be for specific operations, or it could be for all treatments. Please remember that the Surgeon must receive the authorization number from the carrier, not the patients.
When you receive a carrier denial for this cause:
- First, examine the system to determine whether notes have been made for the patient regarding the procedures in concern.
- Read the whole set of notes because the claim may have already been sent for reprocessing.
- Open the original file and see if there is any authorization number for the process and also check to see whether we have any authorization in the initial file we received with the consult or not; and, if we have gotten authorization, does the procedure fall under the purview of the authorization?, Check to see if diagnostic testing is noted, as well as the number of visits and time frame covered, and explain the results.
- If a valid authorization is noticed, mention it and refile the claims; otherwise, provide the source submit name and page number of the original file, including the PCP’s name and phone number.
- So we can get same authorization number.
Insurance Referral And Its Importance
An insurance referral is authorization from the primary care physician (PCP) for the patient to see a specialist. A PCP must launch the insurance recommendation by providing a rationale for the visit as well as their best estimate of how many appointments will be essential to address the issue. That can always be modified later at the specialist’s demand. Requesting additional visits from the insurance provider at the opening of the insurance referral saves both the PCP and the specialist time administratively. When a patient comes in for a surgical procedure or testing, certain insurance companies demand an active referral on file. If the proper number of visits were not required, or if they had totally been spent, and a patient required a procedure or test, the specialist may indeed be disallowed reimbursement in the absence of a referral. Depending on the patient’s health, this loss might be as little as removing a lesion or as costly as a heart transplant.
Prior authorization and Pre-certification
These phrases are frequently used interchangeably but can also refer to distinct processes in the context of medical insurance or healthcare.
- Pre-authorization and Pre-certification mostly applies to the procedure by which a patient gets pre-approved for payment of a particular medical course or prescribed medication. Before extending coverage for specific surgeries or drugs, health insurance companies may require patients to meet specific requirements. To pre-approve such a prescription or service, the insurance company will typically request the patient’s doctor to provide notes and lab results verifying the patient’s diagnosis and treatment history.
- Pre-certification describes how a hospital informs a health insurance company of a patient’s inpatient admission. That is also known as “pre-admission authorization.
Is Your Request Turned Down? Try again.
You have the right to question why your prior authorization request was refused. You can receive thorough information if you ask the medical management firm that first declined the request. In addition to this you can also get information from your healthcare provider.
If you don’t comprehend the terminology they’re using, tell them and ask them to explain why the application was denied. Often, the cause for the denial is something that you can correct. For example, it’s possible that your request will only be accepted after you’ve tried and failed a less costly treatment first. If it doesn’t work, make a new request stating that you attempted ABC therapy and it didn’t help.
Suppose you cannot do so (for example, because the treatment you are expected to take first is contraindicated for you owing to another condition or circumstance). In that case, you and your healthcare practitioner can provide evidence explaining why you are unable to comply with the insurer’s procedure safely.
While you have the option to challenge a prior authorization request rejection, it may be simpler to make a new application for the same thing. That is particularly true if you can “fix” the condition that caused your first request to be denied.
About us
Billing Executive – a Medical Billing and Coding Knowledge Base for Physicians, Office staff, Medical Billers and Coders, including resources pertaining to HCPCS Codes, CPT Codes, ICD-10 billing codes, Modifiers, POS Codes, Revenue Codes, Billing Errors, Denials and Rejections.
We have more than 10 years experience in US Medical Billing and hand-on experience in Web Management, SEO, Content Marketing & Business Development with Research as a special forte.
Learn More
How to decode common Denial Codes in a Medical Practice
Are you Constantly Receiving Denial Code CO-197?
Insurance Denial CO 38: Services Not Authorized by Providers
Denial CO 11: Diagnosis is inconsistent with The Procedure