Prior Authorizations Can Now Be Submitted Electronically Through ProviderConnect February 1, 2016 In January, ProviderConnect, Samaritan Health Plans’ provider portal, was updated with a new feature giving you the option of submitting your prior authorization requests electronically rather than by fax. This new feature, called the Prior Authorization Wizard, can be found under the Authorization tab on the left hand side of the portal screen. It has been designed to make the submission process faster and more efficient for both you and the authorization team, and offers a number of benefits: User friendly: the Prior Authorization Wizard’s intuitive design provides on-screen directions that walk you through the entire submission process and ensure that you’ve entered the required information before moving on to the next step. Built-in safety nets designed to help you save time: Common, foreseeable mistakes have been anticipated and safety nets have been built into the system. For example, if you were to submit a prior authorization request for an ineligible member or for a person who is not on a Samaritan or IHN-CCO health plan, the system would show an error message detailing the problem and would not allow you to complete the request. Clinical documentation can be uploaded with your request: To further streamline the process, the Prior Authorization Wizard will prompt you to upload any supporting clinical documentation with your request. This ensures the authorization team has all the information necessary to complete your request in a more timely manner. You can track your request: Once you submit your request, the Prior Authorization Wizard generates a unique authorization number that allows you to easily check on the progress of your request. If you have questions about the Prior Authorization Wizard or experience any issues while using this new feature please contact the PA Wizard helpline at 541-768-4409.