COVID-19: Temporary Rate Increases for Medicaid Providers!
Effective March 10, 2020, the Division of Health Benefits (DHB) implemented a 5% rate increase for the Medicaid provider groups listed below. See DHHS Update. (This update was published April 3, 2020, but retroactively effective).
DHB will systematically reprocess claims submitted with dates of service beginning March 10, 2020, through the implementation date of the rate increase.
Claims reprocessing for Skilled Nursing Facility providers will be reflected in the April 7, 2020, checkwrite. All other provider groups claim reprocessing will be included in subsequent checkwrites beginning April 14, 2020.
Providers receiving a 5% increase in fee-for-service reimbursement rates:
- Skilled Nursing Facilities
- Hospice Facilities
- Local Health Departments
- Private Duty Nursing
- Home Health
- Fee for Service Personal Care Services
- Physical, Occupational, Respiratory, Speech and Audiology Therapies
- Community Alternatives for Children (CAP/C) Personal Care Services (PCS)
- Community Alternatives for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA) Personal Care Services (PCS)
- Children’s Developmental Service Agency (CDSA)
[Notice that none of the increased rates include Medicaid services managed by managed care organizations (“MCOs”). No mental health, substance abuse, or developmentally disabled services’ rates are included].
Reprocessed claims will be displayed in a separate section of the paper Remittance Advice (RA) with the unique Explanation of Benefits (EOB) codes 10316 and 10317 – CLAIMS REPROCESSED AS A RESULT OF 5% RATE INCREASE EFFECTIVE MARCH 10, 2020 ASSOCIATED WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. The 835 electronic transactions will include the reprocessed claims along with other claims submitted for the checkwrite (there is no separate 835). Please note that depending on the number of affected claims you have in the identified checkwrite, you could see an increase in the size of the RA.
Reprocessing does not guarantee payment of the claims. Affected claims will be reprocessed. While some edits may be bypassed as part of the claim reprocessing, changes made to the system since the claims were originally adjudicated may apply to the reprocessed claims. Therefore, the reprocessed claims could deny.
This Medicaid rate increase could not come faster! While it is a small, itsy-bitsy, tiny, minuscule semblance of a “bright side”…a bright side it still is.
Posted on April 6, 2020, in Coronavirus, Federal Government, Health Care Providers and Services, Home Health Aide Services, Home Health Care Agencies, Home Health Services, Hospice, Knicole Emanuel, Legal Remedies for Medicaid Providers, Long Term Care Facilities, Medicaid, Medicaid Advocate, Medicaid Appeals, Medicaid Attorney, Medicaid Providers, Medicaid Reimbursements, Medicaid Services, Medicare and Medicaid Provider Audits, Medicare Attorney, North Carolina, Nursing Homes, Personal Care Services and tagged 5% Rate Increase, CDSA, Coronavirus, COVID19, home health, Hospice, Knicole Emanuel, Managed Care Organizations, Medicaid, Medicaid Attorney; Medicaid Lawyer; Medicare Attorney Medicare Lawyer, Medicaid Rate Increases, North Carolina, Personal Care Services, Potomac Law, Potomac Law Group, Private Duty Nursing, Skilled Nursing Facilities. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
So what’s the deal on Managed Care Organizations? Why does DHB give so much leverage to MCO/LME’s?
Good question, Lucretia. I am sure it has to do with the MCOs being prepaid.
Ok, so they are continuously allowing the MCO’s/LME’s to do whatever they want, even if it’s not the best solution for getting much needed services to consumers?