Silent authorizations, also referred to as bogus authorizations or fake authorizations, are used to track and report units or sessions for a specific code. These are authorizations that will not travel on the claim and have not been provided by the payer.
Reasons to Use a Silent Authorization
- When a payer allows a specific number of units over a given period of time without an authorization on file, a silent authorization can be entered to track how many units have been used, allowing you to know when a payer authorization needs to be obtained. This is most common for Medicaid payers.
- To properly enter Time for a client who requires an authorization for some codes, but not all; silent authorizations are needed in order to save the services in Time that do not require an authorization by the payer.
- To enter a specific rate based on code for a Private Pay Client Rate payer.
Create a Silent Authorization
- Go to the Clients Module > Payers tab > Authorizations sub-tab.
- Leave the Authorizations/Date Created field blank.
- Any information entered here will appear on the claim as an authorization, causing it to reject.
- Optional: You can select a specific staff or program if you'd like to limit where the silent authorization is used.
- Enter the number of units allowed for this authorization in the Max. Units field.
- This can be any number from 1 - 1000.
- Enter a From and To date.
- This can be any date range based on need. Most common is one calendar year.
- Using the pick list, select the Code(s) that are allowed for the number of units entered.
- Selecting multiple codes means that these codes will share the total maximum units entered, therefore if you are wanting to allow a specific number of units per code, select one code per authorization entered.
- Click Add.
- Click Save.