All PlansAdministrativeMedium impact
New in Availity Essentials: Streamline Authorization Follow-Ups by Viewing and Responding to RFAI Online
Ambetter·OK·Prior Authorization
We identified it
Sep 3, 2026
Summary
Availity Essentials now allows providers to view and respond to Requests for Additional Information (RFAI) directly within the platform instead of managing them through calls, faxes, or external portals. The billing team can upload supporting clinical documentation (up to 10 attachments or 64 MB) and track all authorization follow-ups from a single dashboard.
Action Required
Immediately: Billing team should access the Authorization/Referral Dashboard in Availity Essentials to familiarize themselves with the new RFAI workflow. Train staff to monitor the "Pending Action – Contact Payer" status and respond to requests within the platform rather than by phone or fax. For authorizations submitted outside Availity (through other portals or fax), use the Authorization/Referral Inquiry tool to pin them to the dashboard for tracking. Access the three-minute demo under Help & Training > Get Trained, then search "CNC" > "Auth Request for Additional Information" for step-by-step instructions. Update internal authorization follow-up procedures to prioritize online response management to reduce processing delays.