Nev. doctors get universal authorization form

The state's physicians can access and print a standardized form directly from the Web.

By Julie A. Jacob, amednews staff. Dec. 17, 2001.

Filling out prior authorization forms has become easier for physicians in Nevada.

The Nevada State Medical Assn., the Nevada Assn. of Health Plans and the Nevada Governor's Office of Consumer Health Assistance have collaborated to create a universal prior authorization form for all health plans.

Doctors or their staff can print the form, which became available earlier this year, directly from the Office of Consumer Health Assistance's Web site (http://www.govcha.state.nv.us/).

The three groups developed the form because many doctors were telling the medical society that they were frustrated with having to fill out a different form for every health plan, said Lawrence Matheis, the state medical society's executive director.

So the medical society decided to contact the Office of Consumer Health Assistance for suggestions on how to remedy the problem, Matheis said.

Staff at the office suggested that the medical society, health plan association and the office work together to develop a standard prior authorization form, said Valerie Rosalin, the office's director.

Representatives from about 20 groups -- health plans, the medical society, and self-insured employers and unions -- worked together for several months to develop the form, she said.

Feedback from physicians has been positive, Matheis said. "It makes it clear what is needed and really streamlines things."

Health plans were interested in creating the standard form because "we are really trying to find voluntary solutions to [issues] that commonly have legislative remedies," said Marie Soldo, executive vice president of government affairs for Sierra Health Services, which operates a 200,000-member HMO in the state.

"It seemed like a way for us to ... figure out a way to solve the problem," Soldo said.

Although other state medical societies are working with health plans to develop uniform authorization or credentialing forms, Nevada is one of the first states to finalize a standard form, according to the AMA's Private Sector Advocacy department.