Managed Care System (MCS) Authorization Portal
Important Notice: Upcoming Upgrade and Temporary Outage of the MCS Essette Authorization Portal
On Tuesday, December, 16th, 2025, Physician Health Partners (PHP) will be performing a scheduled upgrade to the MCS Essette Authorization Portal.
During the upgrade, the portal will be unavailable from 6 pm to 10 pm MST.
To log in again after this upgrade, you will need to refresh your page on the login screen using the refresh button on your browser, or press the F5 key on your keyboard.
During the outage: If you need to submit a prior authorization request, please use the Precertification Request Form and fax it to 303.605.1545.
For questions or assistance, contact us at ProviderServices@phpmcs.com.
Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership.
Important Notice – UHC Referral Requirement Effective 1/1/2026:
Beginning January 1, 2026, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) will require a referral from the primary care provider (PCP) for specialist office visits. All PHPprime PCP referrals will be submitted through the Managed Care System (MCS) Essette Portal. For questions or additional information, please contact Provider Relations at:
To access the login screen, visit: https://mcsportal.phpmcs.com/
Portal Resources
The following video, User Training Guide, and MFA Registration Guide have been created to support users. If you have questions or need more support, please contact portal@alpine-physicians.com.
PHPprime Primary Care Providers and Preferred Specialists are expected to use the MCS Essette Prior Authorization Portal to submit pre-certifications, referrals and prior authorization requests.