Sentara Health Plans provider portal, phone and payer ID quick facts
| Provider portal | https://www.sentarahealthplans.com/providers |
|---|---|
| Provider phone | 1-800-543-3359 |
| Claims payer ID | Verify in clearinghouse payer list |
| Eligibility payer ID | Verify in clearinghouse payer list |
| ERA payer ID | Clearinghouse-specific |
| Timely filing | 180 days |
| Prior auth route | X12 278 plus provider portal |
| Last reviewed | 2026-04-23 |
- Sentara Health Plans does not expose one verified national ERA payer ID in this registry. ERA enrollment and 835 routing are clearinghouse- and product-specific; verify in the payer portal or clearinghouse payer list before enrollment.
Sentara Health Plans at a glance
| Legal name | Sentara Health Plans |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Sentara, Optima Health, Virginia Premier |
| Category | Commercial |
| Parent organization | Sentara Healthcare |
| Claims payer ID | Not published |
| Eligibility (270/271) payer ID | Not published |
| ERA (835) payer ID | Clearinghouse-specific |
| NAIC company code | Not published |
| States covered | Virginia |
| Provider portal | https://www.sentarahealthplans.com/providers |
| Provider phone | 1-800-543-3359 |
Always verify claims-routing details against the member ID card and the payer's current EDI companion guide before submission.
Timely filing & appeals for Sentara Health Plans
Sentara Health Plans's standard timely filing window for participating providers is 180 days from the date of service. Plan-specific products (Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, employer groups, secondary claims) may have shorter or longer windows — always confirm against the policy linked below before disputing a TFL denial.
| Submission type | Window |
|---|---|
| In-network initial claim | 180 days |
| Out-of-network initial claim | 180 days (verify per plan) |
| Secondary / coordination of benefits | 180 days from primary EOB |
| Corrected / appeal | 180 days from denial |
Appeal levels
- Level 1: First-Level ReconsiderationFile within 180 days
Written request for claim reconsideration with supporting documentation, filed within the stated window of the denial notification.
- Level 2: Second-Level Formal AppealFile within 60 days
Formal appeal reviewed by a party not involved in the initial determination; typically requires the first-level decision letter.
- Level 3: External / Independent ReviewFile within 120 days
External Independent Review Organization (IRO) review per ACA §2719 and applicable state law.
Source: Sentara Health Plans provider policy. Always confirm before disputing a TFL denial — payer policies are versioned and product-specific.
Prior authorization with Sentara Health Plans
Sentara Health Plans accepts X12 278 prior-authorization transactions electronically. The procedures most commonly subject to prior authorization include advanced imaging, inpatient admissions, specialty pharmacy, and certain outpatient surgical procedures. Use the payer's authorization tool below to confirm requirements per CPT before scheduling a service.
Sentara Health Plans maintains a live prior-authorization code lookup tool that supersedes any cached list. Use the provider portal or the policy documents below to confirm the current PA list before rendering a service.
Top denial reasons for Sentara Health Plans
Per-payer denial benchmarks publish here once the QuickIntell anonymized ETL pipeline ingests sufficient Sentara Health Plans volume. Until then, see the broader CARC reference for industry-wide remediation guides.
Electronic claims, eligibility & ERA
| Transaction | Supported | Payer ID |
|---|---|---|
| 837P / 837I claims | Yes | — |
| 270 / 271 eligibility | Yes | — |
| 278 prior authorization | Yes | — |
| 835 ERA | No | Clearinghouse-specific |
Payer IDs vary by clearinghouse — confirm against your clearinghouse payer list (Availity, Change Healthcare/Optum, Waystar) before configuring submitter routing.
What revenue cycle teams should verify before submitting claims
- Treat Sentara, Optima Health, and Virginia Premier naming as a single source-check problem: verify the member product and provider portal before selecting a claim route.
- Do not configure a national payer ID from this generic record; confirm the current payer ID in Availity, Change Healthcare/Optum, Waystar, or the provider's clearinghouse.
- For Virginia Medicaid or marketplace products, confirm whether claim routing, authorization, and appeal rules follow the member's product line rather than the legacy brand name.
Common denial and routing risks for this payer
- Submitting under a legacy Optima Health or Virginia Premier route when the member card points to Sentara Health Plans.
- Using a clearinghouse payer ID from another Sentara product without validating the product line.
- Missing authorization requirements because the request was checked under the wrong portal or plan name.
How QuickIntell supports this workflow
- Capture member-card product name, portal result, and clearinghouse payer ID confirmation before first claim release.
- Map legacy Optima/Virginia Premier aliases to the active Sentara workqueue for eligibility and authorization follow-up.
- Hold claims with blank or ambiguous payer IDs for routing verification instead of allowing generic submission.
Sources used for this guide
State coverage
Sentara Health Plans operates in the following states. Each link opens state-level Medicaid program details, dominant commercial payers, and state-specific RCM regulations.
QuickIntell coverage for Sentara Health Plans
- QuickRCM
End-to-end claim lifecycle automation tuned to Sentara Health Plans's edits and adjudication patterns.
- QuickAuth
Automated prior-authorization submissions and status checks for Sentara Health Plans services that require PA.
- QuickERA
Automated 835 ERA posting from Sentara Health Plans with payment reconciliation and denial routing.
Frequently asked questions about Sentara Health Plans
Where is the Sentara Health Plans provider portal?
The Sentara Health Plans provider portal is available at https://www.sentarahealthplans.com/providers. Use it for eligibility checks, claim status, prior authorization workflows, appeals, and payer-specific routing updates. QuickIntell links to the payer's provider-facing portal as a reference and is not the official payer portal.
What is the timely filing limit for Sentara Health Plans?
Sentara Health Plans's standard timely filing limit for participating providers is 180 days from the date of service. Plan-specific products (Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care, employer groups) may have different windows — confirm against the payer's provider manual before disputing a TFL denial.
Does Sentara Health Plans publish a single claims payer ID?
Sentara Health Plans does not publish a single canonical claims payer ID — routing is plan- or jurisdiction-specific. Look up the correct ID per member in your clearinghouse directory (Availity, Change Healthcare/Optum, Waystar) and verify against the member ID card before submission.
Does Sentara Health Plans accept electronic claims?
Yes — Sentara Health Plans accepts ANSI X12 837P and 837I electronic claims through standard clearinghouses. Real-time eligibility (270/271) is supported and X12 278 prior authorization is supported.
How do I appeal a Sentara Health Plans denial?
Sentara Health Plans uses a 3-level appeal process. Level 1 (First-Level Reconsideration) must be filed within 180 days of the denial. Each escalation level requires the prior decision letter and supporting clinical or coding documentation. See the appeal-levels block above for deadlines and process.
How long do Sentara Health Plans prior authorization approvals take?
Sentara Health Plans's prior-authorization decision turnaround typically follows standard industry windows: 72 hours for urgent requests and up to 14 calendar days for non-urgent requests. Specialty drugs and high-cost imaging may extend further. Submit through X12 278 or the Sentara Health Plans provider portal for the fastest turnaround.
What is the Sentara Health Plans provider phone number?
Providers can reach Sentara Health Plans at 1-800-543-3359 for claims status, eligibility verification, and authorization questions. Have the member ID, date of service, and tax ID ready before calling. Most operational tasks are faster through the provider portal at https://www.sentarahealthplans.com/providers.
Run cleaner claims to Sentara Health Plans with QuickIntell
QuickAuth, QuickRCM, and QuickERA are validated against Sentara Health Plans's EDI behavior — eligibility, prior auth, claim scrubbing, and ERA posting all run on real payer rules.
Disclaimer
This page is operational reference for medical-billing professionals. It is not legal, clinical, or contractual advice. Payer policies change without notice — always verify against Sentara Health Plans's current published documents before submission. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.