UHC - December 2021 Monthly Updates and Articles
December 2021 policy and protocol updates overview from United Healthcare
Your notice of protocol and policy changes from UnitedHealthcare
Appendix Bulletins
Appendix Bulletins
Attached you will find information on the following topics from Meridian Health:
Please see the attachments for November 2021.
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving,
From Meridian Health:
The MHP Meridian auth portal is down for submitting auths therefore for Medicaid auth request you will need to fill out the form attached and fax directly. When looking up the CPT fax to the department that is listed or refer to the bottom of the form for instructions.
There is no update at this time from Meridian as to when the portal will resume function.
In July, Priority Health shared plans to move musculoskeletal (MSK) services to InterQual® criteria. In addition, there are a couple other changes happening Jan. 1, 2022.
As of Jan. 1, 2022, we’ll launch the following updates to our prior authorizations:
What’s changing?
We’ll start paying for Medicare members’ vaccines
On January 1, you should begin billing us for the COVID-19 vaccine and its administration for all Medicare members enrolled in our plan. We’ll post the appropriate CPT codes in our Medicare fee schedules (login required).
Please read the attached for all of the latest from Priority Health regarding news for physicians and practices!
Please see the attachments for October 2021 updates from Meridian on the following topics:
CIGNA has provided the attachment regarding details of their extension of their policy regarding COVID-19:
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Cigna has taken important steps to deliver timely accommodations to providers and customers, helping to ensure that customers have continued access to COVID-19 screening, testing, and treatment in safe settings.
Please see the full attachment below for details.
UHC has provided the latest updates to their COVID-19 policies and extension to their waivers. Please see attached for details.
Priority Health: As health care evolves, we want to continue to partner in the best ways possible with you, our provider network. We evaluated our management of spine services and will retire our Spine Center of Excellence (SCOE) program on Jan. 1, 2022.
What’s changing
We’re moving away from the physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) requirement in our SCOE program. Instead, we’ll use prior authorization focused on nationally recognized criteria developed by InterQual® to manage spine services.
United Healthcare has provided these November 2021 Informational Handouts:
In addition, there are various updates located at:
UnitedHealthcare policy and protocol update notice
Aetna Better Health has provided these handouts for your office:
Provider Bulletin:
Fax Blast to Medical Practices:
UnitedHealthcare Provider Relations invites you to our Annual Provider Information Expo – gone virtual!
The Provider Advocate/Market Operations team will be hosting a Provider Information Expo on
Thursday, November 11th via virtual WebEx from 8:30 am CST. to 3:00 pm CST.
Please read the materials that United Healthcare has provided for their October 2021 news.
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The following changes have been made to the Provider Telemedicine Reimbursement Policy:
Telemedicine - 92228 added to standard coverage eff 9/1/21 - Commercial
An ABH Update:
New P.O. Box Address and Vendor for Paper Claim and Claim Correspondence – Effective 11/15/2021
P.O. Box #66215 Will No Longer Be Valid Starting November 15th, 2021.
New P.O. Box
Aetna Better Health of Michigan
P.O. Box 982963
El Paso, TX 79998-2963
An ABH Update:
New P.O. Box Address and Vendor for Paper Claim and Claim Correspondence – Effective 11/15/2021
P.O. Box #66215 Will No Longer Be Valid Starting November 15th, 2021.
New P.O. Box
Aetna Better Health of Michigan
P.O. Box 982963
El Paso, TX 79998-2963
September 2021 IInformation from Meridian Health regarding theeir product lines of business:
The Michigan Market temporarily suspending Authorizations for Discharge to SNF as a response to hospitals being overwhelmed with COVID-19 in Michigan. This solution will be put into place 9/27/2021 until through 10/28/2021, and then will be reevaluated.
1. For CMU for MMP, Ambetter and Medicare
New P.O. Box
Aetna Better Health of Michigan
P.O. Box 982963
El Paso, TX 79998-2963
There are LIVE provider training sessions thru Availaty. Please see the schedule of training sessions at the link:
https://www.humana.com/provider/medical-resources/claims-payments/making-it-easier
The link to sign up to receive the quarterly newsletters to your inbox instead of having to go out to Humana.com to view them:
Dear Provider,
Attached are the September 2021 monthly handouts and bulletings from United Healthcare:
Listed below are some links for offices to follow the updates to the Tele Health policies of some of our payors.
Humana:
https://www.humana.com/site-search-results#q=telehealth
Meridian:
Please read the attached Provider Bulletin from Aetna Better Health:
Starting January 1, 2021, Priority Health and Cigna have entered a Strategic Alliance which means:
• Cigna commercial group members that get care in Michigan can access the Priority Health preferred provider organization (PPO) network.
• Priority Health commercial group members that get care outside of Michigan have access to the Cigna network.
Attached is the quick reference guide to navigate processes within the Cigna and Priority Health alliance.
United Healthcare has provided this attached information for offices to refer to when dealing with prior authoirzations as well as admission authorizations for Medicaid members.
Please share with your offices.
Please read the informational handouts from United Healthcare regarding UMR guides and contact information that are attached below. These will be useful for your practices.
From United Healthcare, attached you will find the August 2021 bulletins and informational flyers.
August Network bulletin summary.
Please see the attached July 21 Informational Handouts from Meridian. The topics this month include:
Ambetter Policy Implementations: new policies Ambetter will be implementing effective June 1, 2021
2021 Meridian Health PCMH Incentive Program
Provider Bulletins & MSA Updates
COVID-19 Billing Guide - updated July 19, 2021:
COVID-19 Guide - updated July 20, 2021:
A copy of the Priority Health Medical Policy, for Telemedicine (telehealth), as of June 30, 2021, is attached below.
Please note, all PH Medical Policies are located on the Priority Health Provider Portal, for Provider review and future reference.
All medical policies can be accessed using your office account thru the Provider Portal with Priority Health. A direct link is:
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we have taken important steps to deliver timely accommodations to providers and customers, helping to ensure that customers have continued access to COVID-19 screening, testing, and treatment in safe settings.
Extension of key accommodations
We are happy to announce that the Humana CCM Digital Provider Strategy team will be holding regularly scheduled live webinars to demo and train providers on the Availity Overpayment Tool. These webinars will typically be scheduled for the first Tuesday and Thursday of the month at 10:00am or 1:00pm (EST).
Priority Health has now provided their Spring 2021 Provider and Practice News Digest. The following important informaiton can be found in the links below:
Changes to our musculoskeletal authorizations coming Jan. 1, 2022 | more
For Meridian, information regarding the Payor ID changes that took effect on 1/1/21 is located on the Meridian website under Provider Resources/ Bills and Payments.
Availity Customer Support: 800-282-4548
Please check the member ID card for the changes which took effect on January 1, 2021
Please see the attachment for a printable handout for your office of these numbers and details.
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From Priority Health:
Our goal is to work with our provider partners to optimize health outcomes while providing evidence-based, value-driven care. This is why we’ll move to nationally recognized criteria for our musculoskeletal authorizations starting Jan. 1, 2022.
Why are we making this change?
July Network Bulletin overview
Medical policy updates