May 2026 Top of Mind

Proactive outreach calls and support from claim analysts will help you prevent claim denials

As a behavioral health professional, what’s the #1 thing you want most?

You’ve told us many times: You want fast payment for the services you provide to members. Claim denials and requests for additional information don’t just delay payment — they impact your practice’s cash flow and financial stability.

We’ve heard you. That’s why Optum Behavioral Health is about to take a big step forward to help reduce your payment wait times. Beginning in mid-May, our claim analysts will be reaching out to network providers by phone and email to offer additional education and resources to help reduce common claim submission errors.

How it will work

Initially, the claim analysts will monitor recent claim submissions across all plan types for issues with:

• Timely filing
• Duplicate/corrected denials
• Member eligibility
• Incorrect coding
• Missing or invalid primary Explanation of Benefits, when needed

When an analyst identifies a continued pattern of incorrect billing and subsequent claim denials for the same reason(s), they will reach out via your preferred contact information to set up time to talk. Together, you’ll work through the claim submission process, identify where errors occur and what needs to be adjusted. The analyst will also provide specific resources and information to you if needed.

Note: Not all providers will receive outreach calls. If your claims tend to be processed and paid without issue, keep doing what you’re doing. By focusing on the specific issues noted above, our goal is to reduce claim denials whenever possible.

Questions?

Review these Claim Submission Tips for insight into the most common reasons for claim denials. If you have questions about a specific claim, call the number on the back of the member’s ID card.