Mo. Code Regs. tit. 13 § 70-15.020

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, May 1, 2024

Section 13 CSR 70-15.020 - Procedures for Admission Certification, Continued Stay Review, and Validation Review of Hospital Admissions

PURPOSE: This amendment adds the definition of "written request" which allows the ability to email or fax the record request letters to providers.

(1) The following definitions will be used in administering this rule:

(A) Admission. Admission means the act of registration and entry into a general medical and surgical, psychiatric, or rehabilitation hospital on the order of a qualified medical practitioner or medical professional having privileges of admission for the purpose of providing inpatient hospital services under the supervision of a physician member of the hospital's medical staff;

(B) Admission certification. Admission certification means the determination by the medical review agent, as transmitted to the hospital/physician and the fiscal agent, that the admission of a participant for inpatient hospital services is approved as medically necessary, reasonable, and appropriate as to placement at an acute level of care;

(C) Admitting diagnosis. Admitting diagnosis means the physician's tentative or provisional diagnosis of the participant's condition as a basis for examination and treatment when the admission certification is requested;

(D) Admitting medical professional. Admitting medical professional means a physician or other person authorized by state licensure law to order hospital services and who has admission privileges to order the participant's inpatient admission to the hospital;

(E) Certification number. Certification number means the number issued by the medical review agent that establishes that, based upon information furnished by the provider, a participant's admission for inpatient hospital services is approved as medically necessary;

(F) Department. Department means the Missouri Department of Social Services;

(G) Emergency admission. Emergency admission means an admission in which the medical condition manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) that absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in placing the patient's health in serious jeopardy, serious impairment to bodily function or serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part;

(H) Fee for service. Fee for service refers to participants and/or services not included in the MO HealthNet Managed Care program or other prepaid health plans;

(I) Inpatient hospital service. Inpatient hospital service means a service provided by or under the supervision of a medical professional after a participant's admission to a hospital and furnished in the hospital for the care and treatment of the participant;

(J) Managed Care. Managed Care is a program under which some MO HealthNet participants are enrolled with a health plan who contracts with the department to provide a package of MO HealthNet benefits for a monthly fee per enrollee;

(K) Medical record. Medical record means all or any portion of the medical record as requested by the medical review agent;

(L) Medical review agent. Medical review agent means the state's representative who is authorized to make decisions about admission certifications and validation reviews;

(M) Medically necessary. Medically necessary means an inpatient hospital service that is consistent with the participant's diagnosis or condition and is in accordance with the criteria as specified by the department;

(N) Nurse reviewer. Nurse reviewer means a person who is employed by or under contract with the medical review agent and who is licensed to practice professional nursing in Missouri;

(O) Pertinent information. Pertinent information means any information that the physician, hospital, or participant feels may justify or qualify the hospitalization;

(P) Physician reviewer. Physician reviewer means a physician who is a peer of the admitting/ attending physician or who specializes in the type of care under review. Exceptions will be made only if the efficiency or effectiveness of the review would be compromised, but in every situation the review will be performed by a physician;

(Q) Readmission. Readmission means an admission that occurs within fifteen (15) days of a discharge of the same participant from the same or a different hospital. The fifteen- (15-) day period does not include the day of discharge or the day of readmission;

(R) Participant. Participant means a person who has applied and been determined eligible for MO HealthNet benefits;

(S) Reconsideration. Reconsideration means a review of a denial or withdrawal of admission certification;

(T) Required information. Required information means the information to be provided by the medical professional or hospital to obtain a preadmission or post-admission certification, which includes participant, medical professional, and hospital identifying information, admission date, admission diagnosis, procedures, surgery date, indications for inpatient setting, and plan of care;

(U) Transfer. Transfer means the movement of a participant after admission from one (1) hospital directly to another or within the same facility;

(V) Urgent admission. Urgent admission means a case which requires prompt admission to the hospital to prevent deterioration of a medical condition from an urgent to an emergency situation;

(W) Utilization review assistant. Utilization review assistant means a person who is employed by or is under contract with the medical review agent who is the preliminary reviewer to assess the need for nurse review when the Milliman Care Guidelines is not immediately met;

(X) Validation review. Validation review means a review conducted after admission certification has been approved. The review is focused on validating the admitting information and confirming the determination of medical necessity of the admission; and

(Y) Written Request. A notice to the address of the provider as listed in the MO HealthNet Division's system, in writing, transmitted via the U.S. mail or other private or common carrier, facsimile, e-mail, or any other method/mode of transmittal that is deemed by MO HealthNet to be an efficient, cost-effective, verifiable, and a reliable method or mode of communication with the provider, applying provider, or provider's representative.

(2) As required by Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 456, admissions of MO HealthNet participants to MO HealthNet participating hospitals in Missouri and bordering states are subject to admission certification procedures and validation review with the following exceptions:

(A) Admissions of participants enrolled in a MO HealthNet Managed Care health plan;

(B) Admissions of participants eligible for both Part A Medicare and MO HealthNet;

(C) Admissions for deliveries;

(D) Admissions for newborns; and

(E) Admissions for certain pregnancy-related diagnoses. The diagnoses codes for deliveries, newborns, and pregnancy-related conditions are as published in the ICD (Internal Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification) code book. Admissions with diagnoses codes for missed abortion, pregnancy with abortive outcome, and postpartum condition or complication will continue to require admission certification and validation review.

(3) The admission certification procedure and validation review will be performed by a medical review agent. The confidentiality of all information shall be adhered to in accordance with section 208.155, RSMo and Title 42, CFR part 431, subpart F. The medical review agent's decisions related to certification or non-certification of MO HealthNet admissions are advisory in nature. The department is the final payment authority. The medical review agent's review decisions will be used as the basis for MO HealthNet reimbursement.

(4) The types of certification and review include:

(A) Prospective (Preadmission) certification of nonemergency (elective) admissions of MO HealthNet participants with established eligibility on date of admission;

(B) Admission (Initial) certification of emergency and urgent admissions of MO HealthNet participants with established eligibility on date of admission and obtained prior to discharge;

(C) Continued Stay Review (CSR) to add days to an existing certification. This review is done prior to discharge or within fourteen (14) days after discharge;

(D) Retrospective certification (post discharge) is only appropriate if participant's or provider's eligibility is not established prior to the patient's discharge date. Other retrospective certification requests are reviewed on a case by case basis. Retrospective reviews are not allowed for requests that were initiated while inpatient but failed to include sufficient clinical information to obtain certification;

(E) Retrospective validation review of statistically valid sample cases to assure information provided during admission certification is substantiated by documentation in the medical record; and

(F) A review of quality will be performed for those cases selected as part of the focused and random validation and Certification of Need Samples. Potential quality issues that represent a minor or less than serious risk to a patient will not be pursued. However, potentially serious quality issues will proceed through three (3) levels of specialty physician review if the issue is upheld by the physician reviewers at the first and second level physician review.

(5) Time requirements for the certification procedures are as follows:

(A) Medical professional or hospital notification to the medical review agent of a planned elective admission must occur no later than two (2) full working days prior to the date of the planned admission;

(B) Medical professional or hospital notification to the medical review agent of the occurrence of an emergency or urgent admission is required by the end of the first full working day after the date of the actual admission or prior to discharge, whichever comes first;

(C) Medical professional or hospital notification to the medical review agent of the need for a continued stay review must occur prior to discharge or within fourteen (14) working days after discharge;

(D) The medical review agent will determine the medical necessity of admissions specified in subsections (4)(A) and (B) at the time the request is made or by the end of the next working day after receipt of all required information from the medical professional or hospital;

(E) The hospital shall submit, at its own expense, the participant's medical record to the medical review agent for retrospective certification cases specified in subsection (4)(D); and

(F) After receipt of all the required medical record information, the medical review agent will determine medical necessity of admissions specified in subsection (4)(D) within thirty (30) calendar days. Cases submitted for physician review must be completed within this same thirty- (30-) day period.

(6) The criteria to be used in the admission certification and validation review are as follows:

(A) Milliman Care Guidelines includes adult and pediatric criteria for general medical care admissions;

(B) Supplemental criteria sets are included for adult and child psychiatric care, rehabilitation care and alcohol/drug abuse treatment;

(C) Ambulatory procedure screening is done within the Milliman Care Guidelines. If the procedure meets criteria to be done in the outpatient setting versus inpatient, the case will be reviewed by a physician for final determination which may result in denial of the certification request; and

(D) Urgent/emergency criteria are used as guidelines for determination of type of admission and are defined in section (1).

(7) The admission certification procedure is as follows:

(A) Certification requests can be made in the following manner:

1. For prospective, initial admission, and continued stay reviews, the medical professional or hospital submits the request through Cyber Access Web tool or contacts the medical review agent to provide the required information to obtain certification; or

2. For retrospective certification, the hospital submits, at its own expense, the participant's medical record to the medical review agent to obtain certification which is to include the emergency room record; history and physical; any operative, pathology, or consultation reports; the first three (3) days of physician or other medical professional orders including the inpatient admitting orders, progress notes, nurses' notes, graphic vital signs, medication sheets, and diagnostic testing results;

(B) Initial screening of information for reviews in paragraph (7)(A)1. is conducted through the online Cyber Access Web tool, by utilization review assistants or by nurse reviewers using the criteria in section (6) as appropriate to the case under review;

(C) Initial screening of information for reviews in paragraph (7)(A)2. is conducted by a utilization review assistant or nurse reviewer using the criteria in section (6) as appropriate to the case under review;

(D) If the medical information submitted regarding the patient's condition and planned services meets the applicable criteria in section (6), the approval decision and a unique certification number are communicated to the medical professional and hospital via the Cyber Access Web tool;

(E) If the applicable criteria in section (6) are not met, the nurse reviewer refers the case to a physician reviewer for a medical necessity determination. The physician reviewer is not bound by any criteria and makes the determination based on medical facts in the case using his/her medical judgment;

(F) If the physician reviewer approves the admission, the approval determination and unique certification number are communicated to the medical professional and hospital via the Cyber Access Web tool;

(G) The attending medical professional will be contacted prior to a denial determination and allowed the opportunity to provide additional information. This additional information will be considered by the physician reviewer prior to a determination to approve or deny admissions. Determination decisions will be communicated as follows:

1. If the admission is approved, the approval determination and unique certification number are communicated to the medical professional and hospital via the Cyber Access Web tool; and

2. Denial determinations are communicated via mail to the medical professional, hospital, and participant. The status can also be found on the Cyber Access Web tool;

(H) The medical professional, hospital, or participant who is dissatisfied with an initial denial determination is entitled to a reconsideration review by the medical review agent as outlined in section (8); and

(I) If inpatient admission is approved and surgery is planned, day of surgery admission will be required unless the physician reviewer approves a preoperative day for evaluating concurrent medical conditions or other risk factors.

(8) Reconsideration Review Requests. The medical review agent's denial decisions relate to medical necessity and appropriateness of the inpatient setting in which services were furnished or are proposed to be furnished. The procedure to request reconsideration of an initial denial determination is as follows:

(A) Time Requirements;

1. To request a reconsideration review for a patient for a prospective admission or for a patient still in the hospital, the provider should telephone a request to the medical review agent. In either of these situations, the request for reconsideration must be received within three (3) working days of receipt of the written denial notice. In order to expedite the process, the provider must indicate that this is a request for a reconsideration review. The medical review agent will complete the reconsideration review and issue a determination within three (3) working days of receipt of the request and all pertinent information; and

2. If the patient has been discharged from the hospital, the provider must submit a request for reconsideration in writing or by facsimile (fax). This reconsideration cannot be requested by telephone. The request must be made within sixty (60) calendar days of receipt of the written denial notice. The medical review agent will complete the reconsideration review within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of the request for reconsideration review, medical records, and all pertinent information. A written notice will be issued to the participant, medical professional, and hospital within three (3) working days after the reconsideration review is completed. This information may also be accessed through the Cyber Access Web tool;

(B) The reconsideration review shall consist of a review of all medical records and additional documentation submitted by any one of the parties receiving the initial denial notice;

(9) Validation Sample of Approved Admissions.

(A) A quarterly validation sample of approved admissions will be selected to ensure that the information provided during the certification process is substantiated by documentation and clinical findings in the medical record.

(B) The sample size will be a statistically valid number of certified admissions.

(C) For admissions subject to a validation review, the medical review agent will request medical records. Providers have thirty (30) calendar days from the date of written request to submit documentation. At rates determined by state statute 191.227, RSMo, provider costs associated with submission of requested documentation will be reimbursed regardless of the medium used for submission. Records not received within the thirty (30) days will result in the admission being denied and claim payment recouped.

(D) Admission certification is not a guarantee of MO HealthNet payment. If the information provided during the certification process cannot be validated in the medical record by a nurse reviewer using the criteria in section (6), or was false, misleading or incomplete, the case will be referred to a physician reviewer for a medical necessity determination. The physician reviewer is not bound by any criteria and makes the determination based on medical facts in the case using his/her medical judgment.

(E) The medical professional or hospital will be allowed an opportunity to respond to a proposed denial prior to issuance of a final denial notice.

(F) If the physician reviewer determines the admission was not medically necessary, a denial notice will be issued to all parties. Reconsideration review procedures in section (8) apply to this review.

(G) A validation review determination of denial will result in recovery of MO HealthNet payments in accordance with 13 CSR 70-3.030. Overpayment determinations may be appealed to the Administrative Hearing Commission within thirty (30) days of the date of the notice letter if the sum in dispute exceeds five hundred dollars ($500).

(H) Review of the quality of care will also be performed on the validation review sample. Potentially serious quality of care issues identified by the nurse reviewer will be referred to a physician of the medical review agent.

(10) As specific in relation to administration of the provisions of this rule and not otherwise inconsistent with participant liability as determined under provisions of 13 CSR 70-4.030, participant liability issues for admission certification and validation review are as follows:

(A) The participant is liable for inpatient hospital services in the following circumstances:

1. When the prospective request for certification is denied and the participant is notified of the denial but the participant chooses to be admitted, s/he is liable for all days;

2. When an admission request for certification is denied, the participant is liable for those days of inpatient hospital service provided after the date of the denial notification to him/her ;

3. When the participant's eligibility was not established on or by the date of admission and the request for certification is denied, the participant is liable for all days; and

4. When the participant has signed a written agreement with the provider indicating that MO HealthNet is not the intended payer for the specific item or service, s/he is liable for all days. The agreement must be signed prior to receiving the services. In this situation, the participant accepts the status and liabilities of a private pay patient in accordance with 13 CSR 70-4.030; and

(B) The participant is not liable for inpatient hospital services in the following circumstances:

1. When the provider fails to comply with prospective certification requirements, the participant is not liable for any days;

2. When an admission request for certification of an admission is denied, the participant is not liable for those days of inpatient hospital service provided prior to and including the date of the notification to him/her of the denial; and

3. When the medical review agent performs a validation review as provided in section (9) of this rule and determines an admission was not medically necessary for inpatient services, the participant is not liable for any days.

(11) Continued stay reviews, when necessary, will be performed for all fee-for-service MO HealthNet participants subject to admission certification to determine that services are medically necessary and appropriate for inpatient care. The continued stay review procedure is as follows:

(A) When extended hospitalization is indicated beyond the initial length of stay assigned by the medical review agent for prospective or admission certification, the hospital and attending medical professional are required to provide additional medical information to warrant the continued hospital stay as well as request the number of additional days needed prior to discharge or within fourteen (14) working days after discharge. If the request for continued stay review is received fifteen (15) or more working days post discharge, it is considered a retrospective review and the requirements mentioned in subsection (5)(E) will apply;

(B) For continued stay reviews, either initiated via the Cyber Access Web tool or the telephone, the Milliman Care Guidelines will be applied to any additional diagnosis or surgical procedures indicated. The medical professional and/or hospital may also upload any additional supporting documentation into the Cyber Access Web tool;

(C) A physician will review cases when continued stay is requested beyond the Milliman Care Guidelines. The physician reviewer shall approve or deny the continued stay days;

(D) The requesting medical professional and hospital are notified in cases of denial only. All others are found on the Cyber Access Web tool; and

(E) Information contained in sections (8)-(10) of this rule also apply to continued stay reviews.

(12) Continued stay reviews will be performed for diagnoses relating to alcohol and drug abuse to determine that services are medically necessary and appropriate for inpatient care. The continued stay review procedure for alcohol and drug abuse detoxification services is as follows:

(A) At the time of admission certification, as described in section (7) of this rule, the hospital or attending medical professional shall specify the anticipated medically necessary length-of-stay;

(B) If the applicable criteria in section (6) of this rule is met, the utilization review assistant or nurse reviewer shall assign a number of days not to exceed three (3) days;

(C) If an extension of services is required, the hospital or attending medical professional shall contact the medical review agent either by the Cyber Access Web tool or by telephone to request additional days for inpatient hospital care. If the applicable criteria in section (6) of this rule is met, the utilization review assistant or nurse reviewer shall assign a total length-of-stay days not to exceed five (5) days;

(D) If either the applicable criteria in section (6) of this rule is not met or the total length-of-stay exceeds five (5) days, the case shall be referred to a physician reviewer. The physician reviewer is not bound by the criteria in section (6) of this rule and makes the determination based on medical facts in the case using his/her medical judgment. The physician reviewer shall approve or deny the admission or continued stay days; and

(E) The medical professional and hospital are notified of the review decision as stated in section (7) of this rule.

(13) The MO HealthNet program, in accordance with 191.710, RSMo, will request that hospital providers report all re-hospitalizations of infants born premature at earlier than thirty-seven (37) weeks gestational age within their first six (6) months of life.

(14) Large case management will be performed for fee-for-service participants with potentially catastrophic conditions whenever specific trigger diagnoses or other qualifying events are met.

(A) Large case management procedures for fee-for-service participants are as follows:

1. Preadmission review nurses identify patients who may qualify and benefit from case management, and refer these cases to a case manager of the medical review agent. Cases include, but are not limited to, the following:

A. Patients with high costs or anticipated high costs; or

B. Patients with repeated admissions or unusually long lengths-of-stay; or

C. Patients who encounter significant variances from the intervention or from expected outcomes associated with a clinical path; or

D. Patients who meet one (1) or more of the indicators on the Trigger Diagnosis/Qualifying Events list;

2. The medical review agent will complete an initial screening which will include a review of the medical information and interviews with the health care providers and patient, if needed or feasible;

3. An in-depth assessment will be conducted, which will include evaluation of the patient's health status, health care treatment and service needs, support system, home environment, and physical and psychosocial functioning. The assessment will be used to recommend one (1) of the following:

A. Reassessment later; or

B. No potential for case management; or

C. Active monitoring in anticipation of a future plan for alternative treatment; or

D. An alternative treatment plan is indicated;

4. If an alternative treatment plan is indicated, the medical review agent will collaborate with the patient's attending medical professional to develop an alternative treatment plan. The attending medical professional is responsible for implementation of the alternative treatment plan; and

5. The medical review agent will monitor and assess the effectiveness of the case management and will report to the state.

13 CSR 70-15.020

AUTHORITY: section 208.201, RSMo Supp. 2007.* Emergency rule filed Oct. 20, 1989, effective Nov. 1, 1989, expired Feb. 28, 1990. Original rule filed Nov. 2, 1989, effective Feb. 25, 1990. Amended: Filed June 18, 1991, effective Jan. 13, 1992. Amended: Filed July 2, 1992, effective Feb. 26, 1993. Amended: Filed July 1, 1996, effective Feb. 28, 1997. Amended: Filed Feb. 1, 2008, effective Aug. 30, 2008.

Amended by Missouri Register March 15, 2016/Volume 41, Number 06, effective 4/30/2016

Amended by Missouri Register June 15, 2022/Volume 47, Number 12, effective 7/31/2022

*Original authority: 208.201, RSMo 1987.