How to get Prior Authorization for Medication: Quick Steps

You may have experienced an injury due to an accident. To cure your injury, the doctor suggests some medication or a medical treatment if your injury is serious. However, once you visit the pharmacy, you get to know that you need to get prior authorization approval from your health insurance company to use these drugs. You must obtain prior approval to avoid paying the entire bill from your pocket.

This article will cover important topics like what prior authorization means, how it works, why insurers demand prior authorization, what type of medication requires prior medication, and how to get prior authorization.

What is the Prior Authorization Process?

Prior authorization is a management process in which your healthcare provider sends a prior authorization request to your health insurance company before providing you with certain medication or medical treatment.

A healthcare provider must follow this process to ensure your insurer covers your medical expenses. If your health insurance company refuses your prior authorization request and agrees on partial payment, you must pay for those expenses.

Why Health Insurance Companies Ask For Prior Authorization Request?

The health insurer demands prior authorization for a medication or a medical treatment because they want to analyze your request before approving the prescribed medicine or medical necessity.

For instance, your physician may have prescribed a high-priced medication or medical treatment. The prior authorization process allows your healthcare insurer to review your prior approval request and return with an effective, low-cost alternative to cure your illness.

What Type of Medication requires prior Authorization Requests?

Various types of medication need prior authorization and approval from the healthcare insurance company. Below are some medication types that require prior authorization.

• Medication can be dangerous when consumed with other medicines.
• Prescription drugs used for cosmetic works.
• Medication is used for certain health conditions.
• Costly prescription drugs.
• Medications that are usually misused.

How do you know if your healthcare provider requires prior authorization for a medication?

You can easily find out if your physician needs prior authorization from your insurance company by contacting your health insurer and asking them relevant questions.

You can also know if you need a prior authorization request for this medication on visiting the pharmacy without prior approval.

How Prior Authorization Process Work?

The prior authorization process follows the following steps.

The healthcare provider contacts the insurance company. The insurer shares a request form that the healthcare office submits along with necessary documents.

Your healthcare provider submits the prior authorization request form to the health insurance company that their medical panel will assess, and based on the information, they will revert once done.

If the insurer finds your request qualifying its criteria, they’ll approve your prior authorization request for a medication or medical treatment. Your healthcare insurance provider may only accept your request if they meet the criteria. However, you can formally request your insurer to review their decision in such a case.

How Many Days Does the Prior Authorization Process Take?

The prior authorization process only takes a certain number of days. It can be completed within a week or may require more than 2 weeks. Your request for approval depends on the information about your medication or medical necessity shared with the healthcare insurance provider.

Regularly follow up with your insurance and healthcare providers to speed up your prior authorization approval process. This practice will keep you up to date on all the activities, and if there are any further details required, you can provide them timely to prevent any delay in the prior approval process.

How To Obtain a Prior Authorization For Medication

If you require prior authorization for a certain medication or medical treatment, you must obtain it from your insurer before you consume any medicine that requires it.

Because if you don’t seek permission, your insurance provider won’t pay for your medical expenses. In that case, you’ll need to clear the bills independently.

Here are some useful tips to help you obtain prior authorization for a medication.

          1.Speak to the Decision-Maker

Though it’s your health insurance provider that requires prior authorization, it’s not certainly your insurer who decides to approve or refuse your prior authorization request. Even though many health insurance companies carry out prior authorizations in-house, some outsource these tasks to benefit management companies.

Your insurer may collaborate with a behavioral health benefits company to proceed with your prior authorization request for behavioral and mental health benefits. In addition, your insurance provider may consult a pharmacy benefits company to process your prior approval request for certain medications.

However, if you need clarification on which specific company is managing your prior authorization request, your health insurance provider will guide you in the correct direction. Refrain from counting on your insurer to decide about approving or refusing your prior authorization request. Only bother saying something once you talk to the decision-maker.

          2.See the Clinical Guidelines

You must read the clinical guidelines on which the insurance company reviewers decide. It’s like viewing quiz answers before attempting the quiz.

Are the guidelines you require available online or not? Scenario, you can ask your insurer to let you know. If the guidelines are available online, the health insurance provider will share them.

The clinical guidelines will help you provide the information your insurer needs to review your prior authorization request. You’ll likely get approval in a shorter period if your medication request meets the criteria of your health plan.

Clinical guidelines will benefit your healthcare provider by sharing all necessary information related to your medication request, increasing the chances of your prior authorization request approval.

          3.Submit In-depth and Accurate Information

Ensure the details you submit for a prior authorization approval are thorough and accurate. Your request may get delayed or refused if any information needs to be corrected or added.

For instance, you wrote John Andrew on the prior approval form as your full name, while your health insurance company card shows Jonathan Andrew as your complete name. Due to this small mistake, your prior authorization request may be accepted.

Similarly, if the medication details you submitted are inaccurate, a prior authorization request may result in denial. The system will forward it to a human reviewer for analysis. In that case, you’ll need to wait for another few days to get approval for your prescription drug.

When the healthcare provider submits a prior authorization request, they probably still need to finish their clinical notes about your case. Incomplete information sent to the healthcare insurance company can result in denial of your request. Thus, it is essential to review all the information before sharing it with the insurer for a prior authorization request.

          4.Talk To Your Insurer If They Deny Your Request

Speak to the healthcare provider about why your prior authorization request is denied. In addition, you can contact your health insurance company to understand why they refused your request for medication.

Ask your insurer to share the reason for the prior request denial in simple words. You can fix it and get approval.

For instance, your healthcare provider may have prescribed a costly drug for curing your injury, which the insurer believes isn’t that medically necessary. However, if you can learn about this, you can ask your healthcare provider to share why they prescribed this medication and how it can cure your injury. Your health insurance provider may approve your request if it qualifies your health plan criteria.

You may have missed any information in your prior authorization request, but talking to your healthcare provider lets you identify that gap and fix it promptly to increase the chances of your request approval.

          5.Make Sure Your Healthcare Insurer Follows the Guidelines

It’s also essential to ensure that your health insurance company complies with the state regulations related to prior authorization.

For instance, your health insurer can’t demand prior authorization to decide on medication or medical treatment for mental health abuse necessity if your health insurance provider doesn’t have an identical protocol for medication or medical treatments.

Your insurer can’t request prior authorization if you visit your obstetrician-gynecologist for medical care. In addition, emergency cases don’t require you to submit a prior approval request for medication or medical treatment.

You can ask your healthcare provider for the guidelines, as they understand prior authorization rules well. In short, the more you recognize how they operate, the better you can fight for medical care.