How to Add an Insurance Authorization

The insurance authorization feature allows you to track authorizations for both primary and secondary insurances by expiration date and the number of visits or units remaining. Use the following steps to add or edit authorizations in a patient's chart. 

Include Authorizations When Adding a New Case

You can add authorization information when creating a new case. In the Patient Info section of the patient chart select Add Case.

1. Select Yes in the Authorization Req field, and click OK.
2. You will automatically be directed to the Authorization screen. 
   1. WebPT EMR Without Billing/RevFlow Integration
      Enter the number of authorized Visits and the Effective Start and End Dates. Click Add.
      
   2. WebPT EMR With WebPT Billing/RevFlow
      1. Select the insurance (primary or secondary) from the Insurance drop-down. This populates with the insurances listed on the patient's case. Reminder: Currently the secondary insurance authorization automatically flows into Billing, but will not automatically attach to charges as a charge can only hold one authorization at a time.
      2. Enter the Authorization #. This cannot be blank. If you do not have the auth number, you can enter 0000 to bypass the system requirements and allow the authorization to flow into Billing/RevFlow.
      3. Enter the Effective Start and End dates. Ensure that they do not overlap with any existing authorization on the case.
      4. Select either Visits or Units and enter the related value in the Number Authorized field. 
      5. Click Add.

Include Authorizations When Editing a Case

1. From the patient chart in Patient Info locate the case. To add or edit an authorization, select the Lock icon.
2. Add a new authorization or Edit/Delete an existing authorization.
3. Click OK.
4. Ensure that you click Save Patient before exiting the Patient Info page.

Authorizations and Billing

Once the authorization has been entered on the case, the Authorization status will appear in the patient chart (SOAP 1.0) or in the Case Summary (SOAP 2.0). When charges are finalized (or addended), the primary and secondary authorizations are automatically attached and sent to WebPT Billing or RevFlow based on the criteria outlined in the linked articles. 

Authorization Status

• Visits 
  • When primary visit authorizations are entered in SOAP 1.0 they will appear in the patient chart.
  • For members using SOAP 2.0, the Authorizations Status will appear Visits section of the Case summary.
    
• Units 
  • When Unit authorizations are entered in SOAP 2.0 the Authorization Status will appear in the Case summary. Note: The unit authorizations are not visible in SOAP 1.0 and are only available to WebPT Billing/RevFlow Members.
    

Alerts (SOAP 2.0)

Authorization expiration alerts appear when the patient has two visits remaining, the number of units remaining falls below 10 units, and if the authorization is expiring within 7 days. Authorization expiring and expired alerts display in the Alert Drawer on the Patient records page. Click here for more information on authorization alerts in SOAP 2.0.

Alerts (SOAP 1.0)

Authorization expiration alerts appear when the patient has two visits remaining and if the authorization is expiring within 7 days. These alerts will appear in the At A Glance section on your WebPT dashboard and in the Patient Chart.

Dashboard Alerts

There are three alert fields relating to authorizations in the At A Glance section. Needs New Authorization, Ending Authorizations, and Expired Authorizations. 

Needs New Authorization

Selecting this alert will navigate you to a list of patients that need new authorizations. 

Ending and Expired Authorizations

These alerts will navigate you to the Ending Authorizations report. Read more about the report here.

Chart Alert

Expired authorizations will display a notification in the patient's chart, indicating the expiration date.