All PlansAdministrativeMedium impact
New in Availity Essentials: Streamline Authorization Follow-Ups by Viewing and Responding to RFAI Online
Ambetter·SC·Prior Authorization
We identified it
Sep 4, 2026
Summary
Availity Essentials now enables providers to view and respond to requests for additional information (RFAI) directly within the platform, eliminating the need for phone calls and faxes. This streamlines the prior authorization follow-up process by allowing secure online submission of supporting clinical documentation through a centralized dashboard.
Action Required
Immediately: Billing and authorization teams should familiarize themselves with the new RFAI feature in Availity Essentials. (1) Access the Authorization/Referral Dashboard and monitor the Status/Last Updated column for 'Pending Action – Contact Payer' indicators. (2) Train staff to review the Review Reason 1 field for payer messages and locate the RFAI section within authorizations. (3) Begin uploading responses to RFAIs directly through the platform (up to 10 attachments or 64 MB total per response) instead of using phone, fax, or external portals. (4) For authorizations submitted outside Availity Essentials, use the Authorization/Referral Inquiry tool to pin them to the dashboard for tracking. (5) Utilize the three-minute demo and step-by-step instructions available in Availity Essentials Help & Training and the Provider Help Center to ensure competency. Note: RFAI requests sent before an authorization is pinned will not appear in the system and will continue to arrive through other channels.