There's a lot of hype around the potential for new technologies to fix the prior authorization process, but this rev cycle leader says it can only be as effective as the foundation it's built upon.
Technology in prior authorization processes only works if there is a clear strategy guiding the human component.
In this episode of HL Shorts, Savanah Arceneaux, director of pre-service & financial clearance at Ochsner Health, explains how centralization and clearly defined responsibilities for revenue cycle employees helped to streamline prior authorization processes.
Luke Gale is the revenue cycle editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Building a solid operational foundation is a critical first step to streamlining prior authorization processes.
At Ocshner Health, this meant the centralization of prior authroization teams grouped by service lines, which allows staff to become experts in their service areas and improves communication with providers.
The prior authorization team is focused solely on submitting initial requests while other teams track payer changes and manage denials.