Skip to main content
Authorization tracking is one of the highest-stakes administrative workflows in a PT practice — an expired or untracked authorization means denied claims and interrupted treatment. StrataEMR manages this proactively: once authorization details are entered on a patient’s policy, the system monitors visit usage against the approved limit and surfaces alerts through the task system before the authorization runs out, giving your team time to act before a claim is at risk. Authorization settings cascade from the payer level down to individual policies — payer-level changes apply to all new policies created under that payer going forward.
Access: All staff can view authorization details. Entering and editing authorization information is available to all staff with access to the patient’s Policies page.

​
Accessing the Authorization Section

Navigate to a patient’s case: Patient Menu Bar > Patient Info > Policies. If the Authorization Required setting on the policy’s Benefits screen is set to Yes, an Authorization button appears next to the Benefits button on the Policies page. If the Authorization button is not visible, Authorization Required is set to No on that policy’s benefits. Click Authorization to open the authorization entry screen.
Policies page showing Authorization button

​
Entering Authorization Details

Clean Shot 2026 07 09 At 15 32 31
When authorization is obtained from the insurance, click the Authorization button as shown above and enter the following:
  • Authorization number - The confirmation number provided by the payer
  • Start date / End date - The date range the authorization covers
  • Type - Visits or units (depending on how the authorization was issued)
  • Limit - The number of visits or units approved
  • Notes - Any notes that need to be documented with the authorization
  • Actions - Upload a copy of the authorization to be stored along with the entered information
  • Code Selector - Click all codes authorized under this authorization
Note: Authorization documents should be uploaded directly to the patient’s Policy, not through the Stored Documents page. Uploading elsewhere won’t clear the Authorization Required Documents task, and the claim will continue to show an error even though a file has been submitted.
A visit limit greater than zero is required. StrataEMR cannot track authorization usage without a limit value. If the insurance does not specify a visit limit, enter an estimated limit based on the patient’s treatment plan frequency and duration. This allows the system to calculate available visits and trigger alerts correctly.
Once saved, StrataEMR tracks usage against the limit and displays authorization status in the Billing Alerts section of the patient’s case.

​
Stub Authorizations

A stub authorization is an automatic placeholder entered by the system when a policy requires authorization after a specified number of visits — for example, “authorization required prior to visit 6.” In this scenario, the first 5 visits can proceed without an authorization on file. A stub authorization is entered by StrataEMR to track those initial visits and alert your team as you approach the trigger point.
Do not edit a stub authorization once the real authorization is obtained. When the actual authorization arrives, click Add New to enter it as a separate record. Editing the stub can cause visit tracking errors.

​
Entering Authorizations for Patients Mid-Treatment at Go-Live

If your practice is transitioning to StrataEMR and patients are already mid-authorization from your previous system, you’ll need to account for visits that were already used before StrataEMR began tracking. Do not enter the full original authorized visit count. Instead, enter only the remaining visits so StrataEMR tracks correctly from your go-live date forward. How to calculate the adjusted limit: If a patient had 15 visits authorized and 10 were completed in your previous system before going live in StrataEMR, enter a limit of 5 — the visits remaining at the time of entry. Use the Notes field to document the adjustment so your team understands the context. For example:
10 visits completed prior to StrataEMR. Authorization limit adjusted to reflect remaining visits.
Editing existing authorizations after claims have been sent may result in payment delays or denials. The authorization entry screen displays this warning. Only adjust authorizations at go-live before any claims have been submitted through StrataEMR for that patient.

​
Retro Authorizations

A retro authorization is needed when a claim is denied because authorization was not obtained before treatment. When this occurs you may see a task generated to alert you. The process:
  1. Go to the patient’s Policies page and check the Authorization section
  2. If no authorization exists, submit a retro authorization request to the payer
  3. Document the action taken and expected timeline in the task notes
  4. Defer the related task 3–5 business days while awaiting payer response
  5. If the retro authorization is denied, escalate for write-off review

​
Overlapping Authorization Dates

StrataEMR cannot correctly track visits when multiple authorizations have overlapping date ranges. Overlapping dates cause visit count miscalculations and can prevent documentation completion. When entering a new authorization after an existing one expires, the new start date must be one day after the previous authorization’s end date. For example, if the first authorization ended 1/15/2026, the next authorization must start 1/16/2026.

​
Adjusting the Authorization Requirement

If a policy was set up with authorization required but it is not actually needed, the requirement can be turned off. Navigate to the patient’s policy’s Benefits screen and toggle Authorization Required to No. This removes the hard stop that prevents documentation completion when no authorization is on file. Authorization requirements can also be disabled at the payer level in the insurance setup — this affects all new policies created under that payer and is typically managed by StrataPT during initial payer configuration.