Most payers, from commercial to Medicaid to Medicare, offer providers web based, portal access at no charge. But in our experience, provider portals are widely underutilized tools across the supplier community. People are generally comforted by speaking to a live human to get answers. But, technology can provide us with more consistent answers at a fraction of the time. And while there are occasions where you will have to speak with a representative, picking up a phone should not be the go-to option. We cannot afford to waste 10 minutes to an hour for information that could be secured in under a minute via a portal. Signing up for provider portals can be much easier (and faster) than you think. Most importantly, having access can enable your staff to check claim status, eligibility, prior authorization status and even secure remittance information without picking up a phone, dealing with an IVR, or wasting valuable research time listening to on-hold music. Adding portal access is a MUST for efficient operations.
There are a few basic pieces of information that are commonly required to initiate access. These often include the business NPI and Tax ID, the business address, phone number and an email address. Most of the required elements are already on your claim forms or are easily attainable.
Many portals offer immediate access upon registration. However, some portals (like the Blue Cross plans) will require additional authentication steps to gain access. Be sure to securely retain any user names, passwords, security questions and answers so you can reference these details after your access has been granted.
Some portals will utilize an administrator account to set up separate access for staff members. Admin logins are especially useful to management in the event that a user needs to have their access expanded, changed or terminated. Administrator accounts also provide the business with the most flexibility in terms of protecting your information. Be sure to safeguard all access, and remember to contact the payer to terminate access if an employee leaves your organization.
If you want to sign up for a provider portal, and are unsure how to gain access, start by visiting the payer website and searching for “provider portal”. If this is unsuccessful, you might also try a quick Google search of the payer name followed by the terms “provider portal” (Example: Humana Provider Portal). You can also call the payer and inquire about portal options. To get started, we recommend you start with your top 5-10 payers. Keep adding from there, spare your sanity from the frustrations of unrelenting hold times and redeploy the found time on more important initiatives!
Many portals offer immediate access upon registration. However, some portals (like the Blue Cross plans) will require additional authentication steps to gain access. Be sure to securely retain any user names, passwords, security questions and answers so you can reference these details after your access has been granted.
Some portals will utilize an administrator account to set up separate access for staff members. Admin logins are especially useful to management in the event that a user needs to have their access expanded, changed or terminated. Administrator accounts also provide the business with the most flexibility in terms of protecting your information. Be sure to safeguard all access, and remember to contact the payer to terminate access if an employee leaves your organization.
If you want to sign up for a provider portal, and are unsure how to gain access, start by visiting the payer website and searching for “provider portal”. If this is unsuccessful, you might also try a quick Google search of the payer name followed by the terms “provider portal” (Example: Humana Provider Portal). You can also call the payer and inquire about portal options. To get started, we recommend you start with your top 5-10 payers. Keep adding from there, spare your sanity from the frustrations of unrelenting hold times and redeploy the found time on more important initiatives!
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