Electronic Prior Authorization (ePA): A Necessity for an Efficient Medical Office

Per full-time physician, prior authorization-related activities cost around $3,500 a year, without even taking into account lost productivity or operational efficiency. Prior authorization is costly and time-consuming. In addition, the patient cannot receive treatment or medication until the process is completed.

Fortunately, the healthcare industry can collectively remove this burden because of current electronic prior authorization (ePA) technology. ePA allows for a response on prescriptions in minutes. Physicians and their staff can request approval from health plans and pharmacy benefit managers the moment they prescribe. By implementing an ePA system from 1st Providers Choice into their practice, healthcare leaders will see numerous, ongoing benefits.

E-prescribing has changed healthcare.

It’s a great example of the archaic medical industry catching up to modern technology and adapting to the world around us. With e-prescribing, prescriptions are transmitted electronically and immediately. Remembering staring at your prescription wondering what your doctor had written on there? E-prescribing eliminates mistakes due to bad handwriting. As well, e-prescribing automatically remembers a patient’s allergies and detects a potential allergic reaction. ePA and e-prescribing go hand in hand. ePA is necessary to keep the prescription process as fast as possible. With ePA, your eligibility and patient data are stored in the system to notify doctors and medical practices what is required before e-prescribing, making the process much more efficient.

With ePA technology, set aside the hundreds of forms you were used to filling out.

Instead of forms, specific questions designed to get prior authorization are sent to your EHR system. These questions are customized based on the patient, their history, their health plan, and the medication being prescribed.

Electronic information needed by the patient is already pre-populated.

This means that the certain questions he or she  has already filled out or information they have already given is automatically filled in. This gets rid of countless administrative or careless mistakes.

Your patients get their meds faster.

One of the biggest complaints of the previous prior authorization process was that sending forms back and forth with insurance providers and health plans took ages. It wasn’t beneficial to your practice and even more importantly, it delayed your patient from receiving the medication they needed. The ePA process operates in real-time, so an answer can be sent right away. Your patient can receive approval for their medication in just minutes.

The prior authorization block will not apply to pre-approved prescriptions.

With pre-approved e-prescriptions the process gets even more streamlined. Prescriptions that have already been e-prescribed and pre-approved don’t get stalled by prior authorization.

By integrating an ePA system into your electronic health records, your practice will save valuable time and money. As an added bonus, patient satisfaction increases when they’re dealing with a more efficient system to get their medication. Contact 1st Providers Choice online or by phone (480) 782-1116 today to take the next step.