Provider Chat Expands to Delaware and New York

Highmark is rolling out Provider Chat — our 24/7 digital support tool — to Delaware and New York providers, effective April 1, 2026. By utilizing Provider Chat, practitioners can receive quick, accurate answers to inquiries on:

• Authorization status
• Is Auth Required?
• Claim status
• Availity Essentials navigation

For more complex questions regarding benefits, authorization, and navigation, providers will be routed to live chat agents on weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

Latest Innovation – “Is Auth Required?”

Highmark has continued to add features and functionality to Provider Chat since the service debuted in Pennsylvania in late 2024. The latest innovation is the “Is Auth Required?” automation. Using this, providers can quickly determine if an authorization is needed for specific services, thereby improving workflow efficiency and ensuring timely patient care.

Providers will input details (e.g., CPT code, diagnosis code, member ID) about the prospective treatment, and the chatbot will instantly return an answer or transfer to a live agent or customer service representative for complex use cases. Each interaction will provide a reference number for documentation.

The “Is Auth Required?” feature has been a significant enhancement since its launch in other markets and is now available to help streamline your operations.

How to Access Provider Chat

Log into Availity, navigate to Highmark's Payer Spaces, and then click the Provider Live Chat tile to activate our 24/7 digital support tool … with live agents available during weekday business hours.