Medicare AdvantageAdministrativeHigh impact
Auth Submissions Temporarily Unavailable via Availity Sept. 18-21
Highmark·PA, NY, DE, WV·Provider Bulletin
Effective date
Sep 18, 2026
We identified it
Sep 12, 2026
Summary
Highmark will perform planned systems maintenance on the Availity Essentials portal from Friday, September 18 at 9 p.m. to Monday, September 21 at 6 a.m. ET. During this blackout window, providers cannot submit electronic authorization requests or view existing authorizations via Availity; urgent requests must be submitted by fax instead.
Action Required
By September 18, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET: Billing team and authorization staff must prepare to transition authorization submissions to fax during the maintenance window (Sept. 18, 9 p.m. - Sept. 21, 6 a.m. ET). Establish fax submission procedures and ensure all staff know the Highmark fax number for urgent authorization requests during this period. Communicate the blackout to all providers and front desk staff who submit authorizations. Resume electronic submission via Availity starting Monday, September 21 at 6:01 a.m. ET. Failure to use fax during the blackout may delay authorization approvals and claim processing.