Admission and Discharge Notifications
Learn when admission and discharge notifications are needed, and how to submit them to LifeWise.
Inpatient admission notification
Inpatient admission notification helps in getting your claims paid correctly and on time. Inpatient admission notification isn't a substitute for prior authorization. Some services require prior authorization in addition to admission notification and some services don't require admission notification at all. It all depends on the type of admission and facility. If you have questions, call 800-439-4722, option 3.
Type of admission or facility
What's required, what you need to know
Acute care hospital
Inpatient admission notification is required for all acute care hospital admissions and discharges within 24 hours of admission. You can notify us by submitting an admission/concurrent review fax form or through HIE (Health Information Exchange), available to Washington state facilities. The admission also requires medical necessity review. The request for medical necessityreview can be initiated by submitting clinical records using the form.
Free-standing psychiatric hospital
Notification required for admissions and discharges. Include medical records with the fax form for review.
Intermediate levels of care Long-term acute care hospital (LTAC) Inpatient rehabilitation facility/unit (IPR) Skilled nursing facility (SNF) Residential treatment center (RTC)
Prior authorization is required instead of admission notification. To submit your request, you can sign in and use our prior authorization tool or submit an admission/concurrent review fax form. Be sure to submit medical records that support the level of care for the prior authorization request.
Maternity
Admission notification isn’t required for any maternity delivery admissions, regardless of the length of the hospital stay. No correspondence will be generated for maternity-related stays.
NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)
Notification is not required for babies admitted to a NICU.
Observation status admissions
Notification and prior authorization aren't required for observation stays, even if greater than 23 hours. If the patient's status changes to inpatient, notification review is required, and medical records must be faxed to 888-742-1487within 24 hours of admission.
Prior authorization for planned procedures, surgeries
All planned procedures, surgeries, and other services require prior authorization and/or medical necessity review and admission and discharge notification. View our code list for requirements.
Medical records
Medical records need to be submitted to us prior to discharge and discharge notification is required. Failure to submit medical records before discharge may result in payment delays or denials. Please fax medical records to 888-742-1487.
Medical records may include:
- Hospital demographic sheet
- Admitting history and physical, transfer notes, ER notes
- Medication list, vital signs, labs, imaging, or other diagnostic procedure results
If the patient is transferred from another acute care hospital or is under observation in your hospital, please include:
- Specialty consult notes
- Last 3 days of attending physician and nursing notes
- Estimated discharge date, discharge plan, and any foreseen barriers to discharge
Extenuating circumstances
Some situations make it impossible for providers and facilities to notify us within the specified timeframe. Learn more in our extenuating circumstances policy.