Availity's COVID-19 Provider Resource Center Consolidates Key Payer Information

New COVID-19 Provider Resource Center provides access to payer updates on patient eligibility, coding, authorizations, and more

Availity, the nation's largest real-time health information network, recently announced that it has launched a COVID-19 Provider Resource Center that consolidates links to updates from more than 50 payers for information about patient eligibility, coding, claims processing, telehealth guidelines, and more. The new COVID-19 Provider Resource Center connects providers directly to payer updates, while enabling better collaboration between providers and payers.

The COVID-19 Provider Resource Center includes the payers most accessed by providers on Availity's health information network and will grow to include more payers throughout the pandemic as information becomes available.

Availity's COVID-19 Provider Resource Center is accessible to all providers across the nation via the Availity Portal at no charge and requires only the completion of a quick and simple registration process. Availity RCM customers can also access this free resource and benefit from the links to payer updates. The information is conveniently incorporated into both the clearinghouse and revenue cycle workflows.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges to health care on all fronts, providers must navigate and manage daily changes to payer requirements and policies. New regulations related to various forms of telehealth—as well as new CPT codes and modifiers for a variety of services from COVID-19 testing through diagnosis to treatment continue to be released for the provider community.

Because most providers contract with a dozen or more health plans, staff members responsible for patient registration and billing often must search individual payer websites for guidance on correctly submitting eligibility requests and clean claims. This has become even more challenging as some payers waive authorization requirements and patient financial responsibility for testing and services related to COVID-19.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has confronted health care providers and plans with unprecedented levels of complexity, uncertainty and turmoil," says Terry Goertz, chief of staff at Availity. "Providers' financial and administrative staff members need a straightforward, well-organized resource that helps them access information for patients within existing workflows. Availity is proud to support the health care providers who are sacrificing so much to perform the essential work of caring for the patients and families affected by this ongoing pandemic."

Source: Availity