All PlansAdministrativeMedium impact
New in Availity Essentials: Streamline Authorization Follow-Ups by Viewing and Responding to RFAI Online
Ambetter·MI·Prior Authorization
We identified it
Sep 4, 2026
Summary
Availity Essentials now allows providers to view and respond to Requests for Additional Information (RFAI) directly within the online portal instead of requiring phone calls or faxes. Providers can upload supporting clinical documentation (up to 10 attachments, 64 MB total) and track all authorization follow-ups from a single dashboard, streamlining the prior authorization management process.
Action Required
Immediately: Billing and authorization staff should access Availity Essentials and familiarize themselves with the new RFAI workflow. (1) Train all staff who manage prior authorizations to use the Authorization/Referral Dashboard to identify pending RFAI requests (marked as 'Pending Action – Contact Payer' in Status column). (2) Review the Review Reason 1 field in each authorization to understand payer requests. (3) Use the RFAI section to upload responses with supporting clinical documentation. (4) For authorizations submitted outside Availity (fax, other portals), use the Authorization/Referral Inquiry tool to pin them to the dashboard for tracking. (5) Access training resources: watch the 3-minute demo in Help & Training > Get Trained, search 'CNC' in Learning Center, or review step-by-step instructions in Availity's Provider Help Center. Update internal procedures to eliminate fax and phone-based RFAI responses and route all follow-ups through Availity Essentials. This change reduces administrative burden and accelerates authorization turnaround.