Draw six columns on paper or in a notes app: task, responsible party, information needed, submission date, reference number, and next checkpoint. Typical parties may include you or an authorized family member, the insurer or benefit administrator, a referring professional, and the facility's admissions or billing contact. Do not assume one party will coordinate everyone else. Ask each person to state their responsibility plainly.
Begin with the insurer. Ask whether the specific requested service requires prior authorization, whether the provider must submit it, whether a referral or clinical assessment is required, and which department reviews the request. Then ask the facility what it can verify or submit. If the requested service is residential drug and alcohol detox at Living Longer Recovery, use that exact verified wording. Do not call it medical detox. Also ask whether the legal entity, address, and California record number match the insurer's file.
- Record the member name, plan name, member identification number, and group number.
- Write down the exact service requested rather than using the broad word rehab.
- Identify who is permitted and expected to submit the authorization request under the plan rules from the insurer's own representative or documents provided by the plan itself to be