Use Microsoft Copilot in Outlook to Draft Provider Communications

What This Does

Copilot in Outlook drafts professional emails based on a short description of what you need to say. It handles the repetitive communication tasks that UR nurses send dozens of times a day: missing documentation requests, authorization status notifications, and follow-up reminders. You describe the situation in one sentence and get a complete, professional email ready to send.

Before You Start

• You have Microsoft Outlook open (desktop app or web at outlook.com/outlook.office.com)
• You have a Microsoft 365 subscription with Copilot enabled
• You're composing a new email or replying to an existing thread

Steps

1. Open a new email and find the Copilot button

Click New Email in Outlook. In the compose window, look for the Copilot button in the toolbar (it appears above the email body area, near Bold/Italic/etc.). Click it and choose Draft (classic Outlook and Outlook for Mac call it Draft with Copilot). Outlook kept this toolbar entry point through Microsoft's 2026 Copilot redesign, so it is unchanged.

What you should see: A text input box appears where you describe what you want the email to say.

Troubleshooting: If you don't see the Copilot button in compose, check that your Microsoft 365 plan includes Copilot. The same button also offers "Coaching by Copilot," a separate option that reviews an email you have already written.

2. Describe your email in plain language

In the Copilot input box, type a brief description of your email. For example: "I need to request missing clinical documentation from a physician's office for a prior authorization review. The patient needs [service]. We're missing [specific documents]. Deadline is [date]. Include our contact number."

What you should see: A full email draft appears in the compose window, professionally formatted.

3. Adjust the tone and length

Tone and length are set after the draft is generated, not before. If the draft is too long, use the dropdown on the draft (classic Outlook calls it Adjust) and pick a shorter length. The same dropdown changes tone or retries the prompt. Copilot regenerates to match.

4. Add the case-specific details and send

Review the draft and fill in the bracketed details (patient identifiers, specific dates, case numbers). Edit any factual details the AI got wrong, then send.

What you should see: A professional, complete email ready to send, no reformatting needed.

Real Example

Scenario: A provider's office submitted an incomplete prior auth request, missing the operative report and most recent H&P. You've already called once and need to send a formal written follow-up.

What you type into Copilot: "Write a follow-up email to a physician's office about an incomplete prior authorization request. We're still missing the operative report and the H&P from the last 30 days. We need these by Friday to continue the review. This is the second request. Keep it professional and clear about the deadline."

What you get: A complete, firm but professional email with clear deadline, specific missing items, and a request for response confirmation.

Tips

• Save common email types as Outlook Quick Steps. Once you have a Copilot-generated template you like, save it so you can reproduce it with one click for the same scenario
• Use Copilot's "Reply" feature on incoming emails: click Reply then the Copilot button to get a draft response based on the conversation context
• For HIPAA compliance, keep patient identifiers out of your Copilot input description and add them after the draft is generated

Tool interfaces change. If a button has moved, look for similar AI/magic/smart options in the same menu area.