What happens when a PA is approved?

Sarva automatically updates the encounter record in your scheduling or practice management system with the authorization number and approval details. Staff see the approval without needing to check the portal.

What if a payer portal does not support automated checking?

Sarva identifies payers that do not support automated status checks and routes them for manual tracking. Staff receive deadline alerts so nothing falls through the cracks, even for manual tracking payers.

Use Case

Prior Authorization Status Tracking Without Manual Portal Checks

Prior authorization status tracking automation monitors the approval status of every submitted PA request across all payers without staff manually logging into portals or calling payers. Sarva checks status at configurable intervals, escalates when deadlines approach, and alerts staff only when intervention is needed — converting a daily manual task into an exception-based workflow.

Track Your Prior Authorizations

The Business Problem

Once a prior authorization is submitted, someone must track its status. This means daily or weekly portal logins, phone calls to payers, and spreadsheet tracking. Staff spend hours checking on pending authorizations, most of which will be approved without issue. The manual tracking process is so tedious that pending PAs are often forgotten until a patient arrives for a procedure that is not yet authorized.

Affected Team

Scheduling, front desk, and clinical staff. When a patient arrives for a procedure without authorization, the visit is delayed or cancelled — impacting patient satisfaction and clinical throughput.

How It Works

Current Manual Workflow

After submitting a PA request, a staff member periodically logs into the payer portal to check if it has been approved. For multi-payer practices, this means logging into 5–10 different portals. If the portal shows "pending," the staff member calls the payer, waits on hold, and asks for a status update. All pending PAs are tracked in a spreadsheet.

Automated Workflow with Sarva

Sarva monitors the status of every submitted PA automatically. It checks payer portals and EDI connections at configurable intervals — hourly, daily, or based on deadline proximity. When a PA is approved, Sarva updates the encounter record. When a PA is denied or pending past a threshold, Sarva escalates to staff with the full context and recommended next steps.

Inputs

Submitted PA request reference numbers
Payer portal credentials or EDI connections
Deadline thresholds by service type
Encounter scheduling information

Outputs

Real-time PA status dashboard
Approval confirmations linked to encounters
Escalation alerts for pending/denied PAs
Deadline tracking with proactive alerts

Human Oversight

Staff handle escalations: denied PAs, peer-to-peer review scheduling, and PAs pending past threshold. Sarva manages all routine status monitoring without staff involvement. Staff see only exceptions — not every pending authorization.

Security Considerations

Payer portal credentials are encrypted and stored securely. All status checks are logged with full audit trails. No patient data is shared between customers. HIPAA BAA included.

Integration Considerations

Sarva connects to payer portals via secure API or automated portal interaction. EDI 278 transaction support is used where available. The status dashboard integrates with your scheduling system so staff see PA status alongside appointment information.

Limitations

Some payer portals do not support automated status checks and require manual login. Sarva identifies these payers and routes them for manual tracking with deadline alerts. Portal changes by payers can temporarily disrupt automated checking until Sarva updates its integration.

Key Performance Indicators

Staff time on PA status checks

Target

Near zero for automated

Unauthorized procedure cancellations

Target

< 1%

PA deadline compliance

Target

> 98%

Escalation accuracy

Target

> 95% true escalations

See how this workflow applies to your practice.

Track Your Prior Authorizations

Related Connectors

The Prior Authorization Crisis — and How Automation is Solving It

Frequently Asked Questions

Sarva checks at configurable intervals — typically daily for routine PAs and hourly for urgent or deadline-approaching PAs. You can configure check frequency by service type, payer, or urgency level.

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