Claims : Submission

1500 Health Insurance Claim Form Completion Instructions

These instructions are for the completion of the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form for ForwardHealth. Refer to the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form Reference Instruction Manual for Form Version 02/12, prepared by the NUCC and available on their website, to view instructions for all item numbers not listed below.

Use the following claim form completion instructions, in conjunction with the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form Reference Instruction Manual for Form Version 02/12, prepared by the NUCC, to avoid denial or inaccurate claim payment. Be advised that every code used is required to be a valid code, even if it is entered in a non-required field. Do not include attachments unless instructed to do so.

Members enrolled in BadgerCare Plus or Medicaid receive a ForwardHealth member identification card. Always verify a member's enrollment before providing nonemergency services to determine if there are any limitations to covered services and to obtain the correct spelling of the member's name.

When submitting a claim with multiple pages, providers are required to indicate page numbers using the format "Page X of X" in the upper right corner of the claim form.

Other health insurance sources must be billed prior to submitting claims to ForwardHealth, unless the service does not require commercial health insurance billing as determined by ForwardHealth. When submitting paper claims, if the member has any other health insurance sources, providers are required to complete and submit an Explanation of Medical Benefits form, along with the completed paper claim.

Submit completed paper claims and the completed Explanation of Medical Benefits form, as applicable, to the following address:

ForwardHealth
Claims and Adjustments
313 Blettner Blvd
Madison WI 53784

Item Number 6 — Patient Relationship to Insured
Enter "X" in the "Self" box to indicate the member's relationship to insured when Item Number 4 is completed. Only one box can be marked.

Item Number 9 — Other Insured's Name (not required)
This field is not required on the claim.

Note: When submitting paper claims to ForwardHealth, if the member has any other health insurance sources (for example, commercial health insurance, Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans), providers are required to complete and submit a separate Explanation of Medical Benefits form for each other payer as an attachment(s) to their completed paper claim.

Item Number 9a — Other Insured's Policy or Group Number (not required)
This field is not required on the claim.

Note: When submitting paper claims to ForwardHealth, if the member has any other health insurance sources (for example, commercial health insurance, Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans), providers are required to complete and submit a separate Explanation of Medical Benefits form for each other payer as an attachment(s) to their completed paper claim.

Item Number 9d — Insurance Plan Name or Program Name (not required)
This field is not required on the claim.

Note: When submitting paper claims to ForwardHealth, if the member has any other health insurance sources (for example, commercial health insurance, Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans), providers are required to complete and submit a separate Explanation of Medical Benefits form for each other payer as an attachment(s) to their completed paper claim.

Item Number 10d — Claim Codes (Designated by NUCC)
When applicable, enter the Condition Code. The Condition Codes approved for use on the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form are available on the NUCC website under Code Sets.

Item Number 11 — Insured's Policy Group or FECA Number (not required)
This field is not required on the claim.

Note: When submitting paper claims to ForwardHealth, if the member has any other health insurance sources (for example, commercial health insurance, Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans), providers are required to complete and submit a separate Explanation of Medical Benefits form for each other payer as an attachment(s) to their completed paper claim.

Item Number 11d — Is There Another Health Benefit Plan?
This field is not used for processing by ForwardHealth.

Item Number 19 — Additional Claim Information (Designated by NUCC)
When applicable, enter provider identifiers or taxonomy codes. A list of applicable qualifiers are defined by the NUCC and can be found in the NUCC 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form Reference Instruction Manual for Form Version 02/12, prepared by the NUCC.

If a provider bills an unlisted (or not otherwise classified) procedure code, a description of the procedure must be indicated in this field. If a more specific code is not available, the provider is required to submit the appropriate documentation, which could include a PA request, to justify use of the unlisted procedure code and to describe the procedure or service rendered.

Item Number 22 — Resubmission Code and/or Original Reference Number
This field is not used for processing by ForwardHealth.

Section 24
The six service lines in section 24 have been divided horizontally. Enter service information in the bottom, unshaded area of the six service lines. The horizontal division of each service line is not intended to allow the billing of 12 lines of service.

For physician-administered drugs: NDCs must be indicated in the shaded area of Item Numbers 24A-24G. Each NDC must be accompanied by an NDC qualifier, unit qualifier, and units. To indicate an NDC, providers should do the following:

• Indicate the NDC qualifier N4, followed by the 11-digit NDC, with no space in between.
• Indicate one space between the NDC and the unit qualifier.
• Indicate one unit qualifier (F2 [International unit], GR [Gram], ME [Milligram], ML [Milliliter], or UN [Unit]), followed by the NDC units, with no space in between.

For additional information about submitting a 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form with supplemental NDC information, refer to the completion instructions located under "Section 24" in the Field Specific Instructions section of the NUCC's 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form Reference Instruction Manual for Form Version 02/12.

Item Number 24C — EMG
Enter a "Y" in the unshaded area for each procedure performed as an emergency. If the procedure was not an emergency, leave this field blank.

Item Number 29 — Amount Paid (not required)
This field is not required on the claim.

Note: When submitting paper claims to ForwardHealth, if the member has any other health insurance sources (for example, commercial health insurance, Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans), providers are required to complete and submit a separate Explanation of Medical Benefits form for each other payer as an attachment(s) to their completed paper claim.

Advanced Imaging Services

Claims for advanced imaging services should be submitted to ForwardHealth using normal procedures and claim completion instructions. When PA is required, providers should always wait two full business days from the date on which eviCore healthcare approved the PA request before submitting a claim for an advanced imaging service that requires PA. This will ensure that ForwardHealth has the PA on file when the claim is received.

Submitting Claims for Situations Exempt From the Prior Authorization Requirement

PA is not required for advanced imaging services when:

• The service is provided during a member's inpatient hospital stay.
• The service is provided when a member is in observation status at a hospital.
• The service is provided as part of an emergency room visit.
• The service is provided as an emergency service.

Service Provided During an Inpatient Stay

Advanced imaging services provided during a member's inpatient hospital stay are exempt from PA requirements.

Institutional claims for advanced imaging services provided during a member's inpatient hospital stay are automatically exempt from PA requirements.

Providers submitting a professional claim for advanced imaging services provided during a member's inpatient hospital stay should indicate POS code 21 (Inpatient Hospital) on the claim.

Service Provided for Observation Status

Advanced imaging services provided when a member is in observation status at a hospital are exempt from PA requirements when completed during a covered observation stay.

Providers using a paper institutional claim form should include modifier UA in Form Locator 44 (HCPCS/Rate/HIPPS Code) with the procedure code for the advanced imaging service. To indicate a modifier on an institutional claim, enter the appropriate five-digit procedure code in Form Locator 44, followed by the two-digit modifier. Providers submitting claims electronically using the 837I should refer to the appropriate companion guide for instructions on including a modifier.

Providers using a professional claim form should indicate modifier UA with the advanced imaging procedure code.

Service Provided as Part of Emergency Room Visit

Advanced imaging services provided as part of an emergency room visit are exempt from the PA requirements.

Providers using an institutional claim form should include modifier UA in Form Locator 44 with the procedure code for the advanced imaging service. Providers submitting claims electronically using the 837I should refer to the appropriate companion guide for instructions on including a modifier.

Providers using a professional claim form should indicate POS code 23 (Emergency Room — Hospital) on the claim.

Service Provided as Emergency Service

Advanced imaging services provided as emergency services are exempt from the PA requirements.

Providers using an institutional claim form should include modifier UA in Form Locator 44 with the procedure code for the advanced imaging service. Providers submitting claims electronically using the 837I should refer to the appropriate companion guide for instructions on including a modifier.

Providers using a professional claim form should submit a claim with an emergency indicator.

Attached Documentation

Providers should not submit additional documentation with a claim unless specifically requested.

Claims for Drugs Purchased Through the 340B Drug Pricing Program

Providers are required to submit accurate claim-level identifiers to identify claims for drugs purchased through the 340B Program. ForwardHealth uses submission clarification codes on compound and noncompound drug claims and a modifier on professional claims to identify claims for drugs purchased through the 340B Program. ForwardHealth monitors claims for the appropriate submission clarification code or modifier based on whether or not providers have designated themselves on the HRSA 340B MEF.

ForwardHealth uses claim-level identifiers to identify claims for drugs purchased through the 340B Program in order to exclude these claims from the drug rebate invoicing process. It is the responsibility of the 340B covered entity to indicate the AAC and to correctly report claims filled with 340B inventory for 340B-eligible members to ensure rebates are not collected for these drugs. If a rebate is received by ForwardHealth for a drug purchased through the 340B Program due to incorrect claim-level identifiers, the 340B covered entity will be responsible to reimburse the manufacturer the 340B discount.

A 340B contract pharmacy must carve-out ForwardHealth from its 340B operation and purchase all drugs billed to ForwardHealth outside of the 340B Program.

Pharmacy Compound and Noncompound Claim Submission Clarification Codes for Drugs Purchased Through the 340B Drug Pricing Program

The compound and noncompound drug claim formats require submission clarification codes in order to identify claims for drugs purchased through the 340B Program. ForwardHealth uses the submission clarification code value to ensure appropriate rebate processes and avoid duplicate discounts. Providers should only submit claims for drugs purchased through the 340B Program if the provider is present on the HRSA 340B MEF.

ForwardHealth relies solely on these claim level identifiers to identify claims for drugs purchased through the 340B Program. If a 340B claim level identifier is present, then the claim will be excluded from the drug rebate invoicing process.

The following submission clarification codes are applicable to compound and noncompound drug claims submitted by 340B providers:

• 20 (340B)—Providers who submit a compound or noncompound drug claim for a drug purchased through the 340B Program are required to enter submission clarification code 20 to indicate that the provider determined the drug being billed on the claim was purchased pursuant to rights available under Section 340B of the Public Health Act of 1992. ForwardHealth uses the submission clarification code value of "20" to apply 340B reimbursement and to ensure that only eligible claims are being used to obtain drug manufacturer rebates. The claim will be reimbursed at the lesser of the calculated 340B ceiling price or the provider-submitted 340B AAC plus a professional dispensing fee. If a calculated 340B ceiling price is not available for a drug, ForwardHealth will reimburse 340B ingredient cost at the lesser of WAC minus 50% or the provider-submitted 340B AAC plus a professional dispensing fee.
• 99 (Other)—If a provider who is listed on the HRSA 340B MEF submits a compound or noncompound drug claim without submission clarification code 20, the claim will be denied with an EOB code stating they are a 340B provider submitting a claim for a drug not purchased through the 340B Program. Once a provider has verified that the claim is not for a drug purchased through the 340B Program, they should resubmit the claim with submission clarification code "99" to verify that the claim was submitted as intended and is not a claim for a drug purchased through the 340B Program. A claim with submission clarification code 99 will be reimbursed at the lesser of the current ForwardHealth reimbursement rate or the billed amount plus a professional dispensing fee. 340B reimbursement will not be applied.
• 2 (Other Override)—If a submitting provider is not listed on the HRSA 340B MEF but submits a compound or noncompound drug claim for a drug purchased through the 340B Program (by indicating a submission clarification code of "20"), the claim will be denied with an EOB code stating they are not on the HRSA 340B MEF. If the provider believes they are or should be on the HRSA 340B MEF as a 340B-covered entity choosing to carve-in for Wisconsin Medicaid, the provider should resubmit the claim with submission clarification code 2 to indicate that the claim is for a drug purchased through the 340B Program. The provider should also contact HRSA to update the HRSA 340B MEF with the provider's information. Covered entities are responsible for the accuracy of the information in the HRSA 340B MEF. A claim with submission clarification code 2 will be reimbursed at the lesser of the calculated 340B ceiling price or the provider-submitted 340B AAC plus a professional dispensing fee. If a calculated 340B ceiling price is not available for a drug, ForwardHealth will reimburse 340B ingredient cost at the lesser of WAC minus 50% or the provider-submitted 340B AAC plus a professional dispensing fee.

Note: The compound drug claim format only accepts one submission clarification code value. If a compound drug includes an ingredient that was purchased through the 340B Program, the provider should use the appropriate submission clarification code to identify the claim is for a drug purchased through the 340B Program, and ForwardHealth will assume the submission clarification code 8 (Process Compound for Approved Ingredients) applies to all ingredients of the compound drug claim.

Basis of Cost Determination and Submission Clarification Code

The Basis of Cost Determination is a required field in which the provider is required to submit the appropriate code indicating the method by which "ingredient cost submitted" was calculated. Providers are responsible for submitting a valid Basis of Cost Determination value, per the ForwardHealth Payer Sheet: NCPDP Version D.0. When a claim is for a drug purchased through the 340B Program, the Basis of Cost Determination field must contain a value of "8" (340B/Disproportionate Share Pricing/Public Health Service); in addition, there must be an appropriate corresponding Submission Clarification Code of "2" (Other Override) or "20" (340B). ForwardHealth will deny claims with Basis of Cost Determination and Submission Clarification Code values that do not correspond.

Professional Claim Modifier for Drugs Purchased Through the 340B Program

Professional claim formats require a UD modifier in order to identify claims for drugs purchased through the 340B Program. Providers who submit professional claims for physician-administered drugs purchased through the 340B Program to ForwardHealth are required to indicate the UD modifier for each HCPCS procedure code. The UD modifier indicates that the provider determined that the product being billed on the claim detail was purchased pursuant to rights available under Section 340B of the Public Health Act of 1992. ForwardHealth uses the UD modifier to identify that a claim is for a physician-administered drug purchased through the 340B Program and to ensure that only eligible claims are being used to obtain drug manufacturer rebates. Providers should only submit claims for drugs purchased through the 340B Program if the provider is present on the HRSA 340B MEF.

ForwardHealth relies solely on the UD modifier to identify professional claims for drugs purchased through the 340B Program. If the UD modifier is present, then the claim will be excluded from the drug rebate invoicing process.

In addition, providers are required to submit their AAC when they submit claims for physician-administered drugs purchased through the 340B Program. Physician-administered drugs purchased through the 340B Program will be reimbursed at the lesser of the maximum allowable fee or the provider-submitted AAC.

Copy Claims on the ForwardHealth Portal

Providers can copy institutional, professional, and dental paid claims on the ForwardHealth Portal. Providers can open any paid claim, click the "Copy" button, and all of the information on the claim will be copied over to a new claim form. Providers can then make any desired changes to the claim form and click "Submit" to submit as a new claim. After submission, ForwardHealth will issue a response with a new ICN along with the claim status.

Correct Errors on Claims and Resubmit to ForwardHealth on the Portal

Providers can view EOB codes and descriptions for any claim submitted to ForwardHealth on the ForwardHealth Portal. The EOBs help providers determine why a claim did not process successfully, so providers may correct the error online and resubmit the claim. The EOB appears on the bottom of the screen and references the applicable claim header or detail.

Direct Data Entry of Professional and Institutional Claims on the Portal

Providers can submit the following claims to ForwardHealth via DDE on the ForwardHealth Portal:

• Professional claims
• Institutional claims
• Dental claims
• Compound drug claims
• Noncompound drug claims

DDE is an online application that allows providers to submit claims directly to ForwardHealth.

When submitting claims via DDE, required fields are indicated with an asterisk next to the field. If a required field is left blank, the claim will not be submitted, and a message will appear prompting the provider to complete the specific required field(s). Portal help is available for each online application screen. In addition, search functions accompany certain fields so providers do not need to look up the following information in secondary resources.

On professional claim forms, providers may search for and select the following:

• Procedure codes
• Modifiers
• Diagnosis codes
• Place of service codes

On institutional claim forms, providers may search for and select the following:

• Type of bill
• Patient status
• Visit point of origin
• Visit priority
• Diagnosis codes
• Revenue codes
• Procedure codes
• HIPPS codes
• Modifiers

On dental claims, providers may search for and select the following:

• Procedure codes
• Rendering providers
• Area of the oral cavity
• Place of service codes

On compound and noncompound drug claims, providers may search for and select the following:

• Diagnosis codes
• NDCs
• Place of service codes
• Professional service codes
• Reason for service codes
• Result of service codes

Using DDE, providers may submit claims for compound drugs and single-entity drugs. Any provider, including a provider of DME or of DMS who submits noncompound drug claims, may submit these claims via DDE. All claims, including POS claims, are viewable via DDE.

Documenting and Billing the Appropriate National Drug Code

Providers are required to use the NDC of the administered drug and not the NDC of another manufacturer's product, even if the chemical name is the same. Providers should not preprogram their billing systems to automatically default to NDCs that do not accurately reflect the product that was administered to the member.

Per Wis. Admin. Code §§ DHS 106.03(3) and 107.10, submitting a claim with an NDC other than the NDC on the package from which the drug was dispensed is considered an unacceptable practice.

Upon retrospective review, ForwardHealth can seek recoupment for the payment of a claim from the provider if the NDC(s) submitted does not accurately reflect the product that was administered to the member.

Electronic Claim Submission

Providers are encouraged to submit claims electronically. Electronic claim submission does the following:

• Adapts to existing systems
• Allows flexible submission methods
• Improves cash flow
• Offers efficient and timely payments
• Reduces billing and processing errors
• Reduces clerical effort

Electronic claims for nurse midwife services must be submitted using the 837P transaction. Claims for nurse midwife services submitted using any transaction other than the 837P will be denied.

Providers should use the companion guide for the 837P transaction when submitting these claims.

Provider Electronic Solutions Software

The DMS offers electronic billing software at no cost to providers. The PES software allows providers to submit electronic claims using an 837 transaction. To obtain PES software, providers may download it from the ForwardHealth Portal. For assistance installing and using PES software, providers may call the EDI Helpdesk.

Electronic Claims and Claim Adjustments With Other Commercial Health Insurance Information

Effective for claims and claim adjustments submitted electronically via the Portal or PES software on and after June 16, 2014, other insurance information must be submitted at the detail level on professional, institutional, and dental claims and adjustments if it was processed at the detail level by the primary insurance. Except for a few instances, Wisconsin Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus is the payer of last resort for any covered services; therefore, providers are required to make a reasonable effort to exhaust all existing other health insurance sources before submitting claims to ForwardHealth or to a state-contracted MCO.

Other insurance information that is submitted at the detail level via the Portal or PES software will be processed at the detail level by ForwardHealth.

Under HIPAA, claims and adjustments submitted using an 837 transaction must include detail-level information for other insurance if they were processed at the detail level by the primary insurance.

Adjustments to Claims Submitted Prior to June 16, 2014

Providers who submit professional, institutional, or dental claim adjustments electronically on and after June 16, 2014, for claims originally submitted prior to June 16, 2014, are required to submit other insurance information at the detail level on the adjustment if it was processed at the detail level by the primary insurance.

Extraordinary Claims

Extraordinary claims are claims that have been denied by a BadgerCare Plus HMO or SSI HMO and should be submitted to fee-for-service.

HIPAA-Compliant Data Requirements

Procedure Codes

All fields submitted on paper and electronic claims are edited to ensure HIPAA compliance before being processed. Compliant code sets include CPT and HCPCS procedure codes entered into all fields, including those fields that are Not Required or Optional.

If the information in all fields is not valid and recognized by ForwardHealth, the claim will be denied.

Provider Numbers

For health care providers, NPIs are required in all provider number fields on paper claims and 837 transactions, including rendering, billing, referring, prescribing, attending, and Other provider fields.

Non-healthcare providers, including personal care providers, SMV providers, blood banks, and CCOs should enter valid provider numbers into fields that require a provider number.

Managed Care Organizations

Claims for services that are covered in a member's state-contracted MCO should be submitted to that MCO.

Note Field for Most Claims Submitted Electronically

In some instances, ForwardHealth requires providers to include a description of a service identified by an unlisted, or NOC, procedure code. Providers submitting claims electronically should include a description of an NOC procedure code in a Notes field, if required. The Notes field allows providers to enter up to 80 characters. In some cases, the Notes field allows providers to submit NOC procedure code information on a claim electronically instead of on a paper claim or with a paper attachment to an electronic claim.

The Notes field should only be used for NOC procedure codes that do not require PA.

Claims Submitted via the ForwardHealth Portal Direct Data Entry or Provider Electronic Solutions

A notes field is available on the ForwardHealth Portal DDE and PES software when providers submit the following types of claims:

• Professional
• Institutional
• Dental

On the professional form, the Notes field is available on each detail. On the institutional and dental forms, the Notes field is only available on the header.

Claims Submitted via 837 Health Care Claim Transactions

ForwardHealth accepts and utilizes information submitted by providers about NOC procedure codes in certain loops/segments on the 837 transactions. Refer to the companion guides for more information.

Paper Claim Form Preparation and Data Alignment Requirements

Optical Character Recognition

Paper claims submitted to ForwardHealth on the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form and UB-04 Claim Form are processed using OCR software that recognizes printed, alphanumeric text. OCR software increases efficiency by alleviating the need for keying in data from paper claims.

The data alignment requirements do not apply to the Compound Drug Claim form and the Noncompound Drug Claim form.

Speed and Accuracy of Claims Processing

OCR software processes claim forms by reading text within fields on claim forms. After a paper claim form is received by ForwardHealth, the claim form is scanned so that an image can be displayed electronically. The OCR software reads the electronic image on file and populates the information into the ForwardHealth interChange system. This technology increases accuracy by removing the possibility of errors being made during manual keying.

OCR software speeds paper claim processing, but only if providers prepare their claim forms correctly. In order for OCR software to read the claim form accurately, the quality of copy and the alignment of text within individual fields on the claim form need to be precise. If data are misaligned, the claim could be processed incorrectly. If data cannot be read by the OCR software, the process will stop and the electronic image of the claim form will need to be reviewed and keyed manually. This will cause an increase in processing time.

Handwritten Claims

Submitting handwritten claims should be avoided whenever possible. ForwardHealth accepts handwritten claims; however, it is very difficult for OCR software to read a handwritten claim. If a handwritten claim cannot be read by the OCR software, it will need to be keyed manually from the electronic image of the claim form. Providers should avoid submitting claims with handwritten corrections as this can also cause OCR software processing delays.

Use Original Claim Forms

Only original 1500 Health Insurance Claim Forms and UB-04 Claim Forms should be submitted. Original claim forms are printed in red ink and may be obtained from a federal forms supplier. ForwardHealth does not provide these claim forms. Claims that are submitted as photocopies cannot be read by OCR software and will need to be keyed manually from an electronic image of the claim form. This could result in processing delays.

Use Laser or Ink Jet Printers

It is recommended that claims are printed using laser or ink jet printers rather than printers that use DOT matrix. DOT matrix printers have breaks in the letters and numbers, which may cause the OCR software to misread the claim form. Use of old or worn ink cartridges should also be avoided. If the claim form is read incorrectly by the OCR software, the claim may be denied or reimbursed incorrectly. The process may also be stopped if it is unable to read the claim form, which will cause a delay while it is manually reviewed.

Alignment

Alignment within each field on the claim form needs to be accurate. If text within a field is aligned incorrectly, the OCR software may not recognize that data are present within the field or may not read the data correctly. For example, if a reimbursement amount of $300.00 is entered into a field on the claim form, but the last "0" is not aligned within the field, the OCR software may read the number as $30.00, and the claim will be reimbursed incorrectly.

To get the best alignment on the claim form, providers should center information vertically within each field, and align all information on the same horizontal plane. Avoid squeezing two lines of text into one of the six line items on the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form.

The following sample claim forms demonstrate correct and incorrect alignment:

• Correct alignment for the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form.
• Incorrect alignment for the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form.
• Correct alignment for the UB-04 Claim Form.
• Incorrect alignment for the UB-04 Claim Form.

Clarity

Clarity is very important. If information on the claim form is not clear enough to be read by the OCR software, the process may stop, prompting manual review.

The following guidelines will produce the clearest image and optimize processing time:

• Use 10-point or 12-point Times New Roman or Courier New font.
• Type all claim data in uppercase letters.
• Use only black ink to complete the claim form.
• Avoid using italics, bold, or script.
• Make sure characters do not touch.
• Make sure there are no lines from the printer cartridge anywhere on the claim form.
• Avoid using special characters such as dollar signs, decimals, dashes, asterisks, or backslashes, unless it is specified that these characters should be used.
• Use Xs in check boxes. Avoid using letters such as Y for Yes, N for No, M for Male, or F for Female.
• Do not highlight any information on the claim form. Highlighted information blackens when it is imaged, and the OCR software will be unable to read it.

Note: The above guidelines will also produce the clearest image for claims that need to be keyed manually from an electronic image.

Staples, Correction Liquid, and Correction Tape

The use of staples, correction liquid, correction tape, labels, or stickers on claim forms should be avoided. Staples need to be removed from claim forms before they can be imaged, which can damage the claim and cause a delay in processing time. Correction liquid, correction tape, labels, and stickers can cause data to be read incorrectly or cause the OCR process to stop, prompting manual review. If the form cannot be read by the OCR software, it will need to be keyed manually from an electronic image.

Additional Diagnosis Codes

ForwardHealth will accept up to 12 diagnosis codes in Item Number 21 of the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form.

 

 

 

 

Topic #1272

Paper Claim Submission

Paper claims for nurse midwife services must be submitted using the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form. Paper claims for nurse midwife services submitted on any other claim form will be denied.

Providers should use the appropriate claim form instructions for nurse midwife services when submitting these claims.

Obtaining the Claim Forms

ForwardHealth does not provide the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form. The form may be obtained from any federal forms supplier.

Topic #22797

Payment Integrity Review Supporting Documentation

Providers are notified that an individual claim is subject to PIR through a message on the Portal when submitting claims. When this occurs, providers have seven calendar days to submit the supporting documentation that must be retained in the member's record for the specific service billed. This documentation must be attached to the claim. The following are examples of documentation providers may attach to the claim; however, this list is not exhaustive, and providers may submit any documentation available to substantiate payment:

• Case management or consultation notes
• Durable medical equipment or supply delivery receipts or proof of delivery and itemized invoices or bills
• Face-to-face encounter documentation
• Individualized plans of care and updates
• Initial or program assessments and questionnaires to indicate the start DOS
• Office visit documentation
• Operative reports
• Prescriptions or test orders
• Session or service notice for each DOS
• Testing and lab results
• Transportation logs
• Treatment notes

Providers must attach this documentation to the claim at the time of, or up to seven days following, submission of the claim. A claim may be denied if the supporting documentation is not submitted. If a claim is denied, providers may submit a new claim with the required documentation for reconsideration. To reduce provider impact, claims reviewed by the OIG will be processed as quickly as possible, with an expected average adjudication of 30 days.

Physician-Administered Drug Claim Requirements

Deficit Reduction Act of 2005

Providers are required to comply with requirements of the federal DRA of 2005 and submit NDCs with HCPCS procedure codes on claims for physician-administered drugs. Section 1927(a)(7)(C) of the Social Security Act requires NDCs to be indicated on all claims submitted to ForwardHealth for covered outpatient drugs, including Medicare crossover claims.

ForwardHealth requires that NDCs be indicated on claims for all physician-administered drugs to identify the drugs and invoice a manufacturer for rebates, track utilization, and receive federal funds. States that do not collect NDCs with HCPCS procedure codes on claims for physician-administered drugs will not receive federal funds for those claims.

ForwardHealth cannot claim a rebate or federal funds if the NDC submitted on a claim is incorrect or invalid or if an NDC is not indicated.

If an NDC is not indicated on a claim submitted to ForwardHealth, or if the NDC indicated is invalid, the claim will be denied.

Note: Vaccines are exempt from the DRA requirements. Providers who receive reimbursement under a bundled rate are not subject to the DRA requirements.

Less-Than-Effective Drugs

ForwardHealth will deny physician-administered drug claims for ForwardHealth members for LTE drugs as identified by the federal CMS or identical, related, or similar drugs.

Claim Submission

Institutional Claims

Providers that submit claims for services on an institutional claim also are required to submit claims for physician-administered drugs on an institutional claim.

Institutional claims that include physician-administered drugs must be submitted to ForwardHealth fee-for-service for fee-for-service members and to the HMO for managed care members.

Professional Claims

Providers that submit claims for services on a professional claim also are required to submit claims for physician-administered drugs on a professional claim.

Professional claims that include physician-administered drugs must be submitted to ForwardHealth fee-for-service for fee-for-service members.

Professional claims for physician-administered drugs must be submitted to ForwardHealth fee-for-service for managed care members. Other services submitted on a professional claim must be submitted to the HMO for managed care members.

The following POS codes will not be accepted by Medicaid fee-for-service when submitted by a provider on a professional claim:

Medicare Crossover Claims

To be considered for reimbursement, NDCs and a HCPCS procedure code must be indicated on Medicare crossover claims.

ForwardHealth will deny crossover claims if an NDC was not submitted to Medicare with a physician-administered drug HCPCS code.

340B Providers

The 340B Program enables covered entities to fully utilize federal resources, reaching more eligible patients and providing more comprehensive services. Providers who participate in the 340B Program are required to indicate an NDC on claims for physician-administered drugs. When submitting the 340B billed amount, they are also required to indicate the AAC and appropriate claim level identifier(s).

Explanation of Benefits Codes on Claims for Physician-Administered Drugs

Providers will receive an EOB code on claims with a denied detail for a physician-administered drug if the claim does not comply with the standards of the DRA. If a provider receives an EOB code on a claim for a physician-administered drug, he or she should correct and resubmit the claim for reimbursement.

Physician-Administered Claim Denials

If a clinic's professional claim with a HCPCS code is received by ForwardHealth and a subsequent claim for the same drug is received from a pharmacy, having a DOS within seven days of the clinic's DOS, then the pharmacy's claim will be denied as a duplicate claim.

Reconsideration of the denied drug claim may occur if the claim was denied with an EOB code and the drug therapy was due to the treatment for an acute condition. To submit a claim that was originally denied as a duplicate, pharmacies should complete and submit the Noncompound Drug Claim form along with the Pharmacy Special Handling Request form indicating the EOB code and requesting an override.

Physician-Administered Drugs Carve-Out Code Sets

Physician-administered drugs carve-out policy is defined to include the following procedure codes:

• Drug-related "J" codes
• Drug-related "Q" codes
• Certain drug-related "S" codes

The Physician-Administered Drugs Carve-Out Procedure Codes table indicates the status of procedure codes considered under the physician-administered drugs carve-out policy. This table provides information on Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus coverage status as well as carve-out status based on POS.

Note: The table will be revised in accordance with national annual and quarterly HCPCS code updates.

Physician-administered drugs carve-out policy applies to certain procedure code sets, services, POS, and claim types. A service is carved-out based on the procedure code, POS, and claim type on which the service is submitted. It is important to note that physician-administered drugs may be given in many different practice settings and submitted on different claim types. Whether the service is carved in or out depends on the combination of these factors, not simply on the procedure code.

Claims for dual eligibles should be submitted to Medicare first before they are submitted to ForwardHealth. Providers should continue to submit claims for other services to the member's MCO.

Physician-administered drugs and related services for members enrolled in PACE are provided and reimbursed by the special managed care program.

Note: For Family Care Partnership members who are not enrolled in Medicare (Medicaid-only members), outpatient drugs (excluding diabetic supplies), physician-administered drugs, compound drugs (including parenteral nutrition), and any other drugs requiring drug utilization review are covered by fee-for-service Medicaid. All fee-for-service policies, procedures, and requirements apply for pharmacy services provided to Medicaid-only Family Care Partnership members. Dual eligibles (enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid) receive their outpatient drugs through their Medicare Part D plans. However, if the member's Part D plan does not cover the outpatient drug, these dually eligible members may access certain Medicaid outpatient drugs that are excluded or otherwise restricted from Medicare coverage through fee-for-service Medicaid. For these drugs, fee-for-service policies would apply.

Exemptions

Claims for drugs included in the cost of the procedure (for example, a claim for a dental visit where lidocaine is administered) should be submitted to the member's MCO.

Vaccines and their administration fees are reimbursed by a member's MCO.

Providers who receive reimbursement under a bundled rate are reimbursed by a member's MCO.

Providers who were reimbursed a bundled rate by the member's MCO for certain services (for example, hydration, catheter maintenance, TPN) should continue to be reimbursed by the member's MCO. Providers should work with the member's MCO in these situations.

Additional Information

Additional information about the DRA and claim submission requirements can be located on the following websites:

• CMS DRA information page
• NUBC
• NUCC

For information about NDCs, providers may refer to the following websites:

• The FDA website
• The Drug Search Tool (Providers may verify if an NDC and its segments are valid using this website.)

Claims for Physician-Administered Drugs

Claims for physician-administered drugs may be submitted to ForwardHealth via the following:

• A 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form
• The 837P transaction
• The DDE on ForwardHealth Portal
• The PES software

1500 Health Insurance Claim Form

These instructions apply to claims submitted for physician-administered drugs. NDCs for physician-administered drugs must be indicated in the shaded area of Item Numbers 24A-24G on the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form. The NDC must be accompanied by an NDC qualifier, unit qualifier, and units. To indicate an NDC, providers should do the following:

• Indicate the NDC qualifier N4, followed by the 11-digit NDC of the drug dispensed, with no space in between
• Indicate one space between the NDC and the unit qualifier
• Indicate one unit qualifier (F2 [International unit], GR [Gram], ME [Milligram], ML [Milliliter], or UN [Unit]), followed by the NDC units, with no space in between (For further instruction on submitting a 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form with supplemental NDC information, providers may refer to the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form Reference Instruction Manual for Form Version 02/12 on the NUCC website.)

Providers should indicate the appropriate NDC of the drug that was dispensed that corresponds to the HCPCS procedure code on claims for physician-administered drugs. If an NDC is not indicated on the claim, or if the NDC indicated is invalid, the claim will be denied.

837 Health Care Claim: Professional Transactions

Providers may refer to the NUCC Website for information about indicating NDCs on physician-administered drug claims submitted using the 837P transaction.

Direct Data Entry on the ForwardHealth Portal

The following must be indicated on physician-administered drug claims submitted using DDE on the Portal:

• The NDC of the drug dispensed
• Quantity unit
• Unit of measure

Note: The N4 NDC qualifier is not required on claims submitted on the Portal.

Provider Electronic Solutions Software

ForwardHealth offers electronic billing software at no cost to providers. The PES software allows providers to submit 837P transactions, adjust claims, and check claim status. To obtain PES software, providers may download it from the ForwardHealth Portal. For assistance installing and using PES software, providers may call the EDI Helpdesk.

Reimbursement Reduction for Most Paper Claims

As a result of the Medicaid Rate Reform project, ForwardHealth will reduce reimbursement on most claims submitted to ForwardHealth on paper. Most paper claims will be subject up to a $1.10 reimbursement reduction per claim.

For each claim that a reimbursement reduction was applied, providers will receive an EOB to notify them of the payment reduction. For claims with reimbursement reductions, the EOB will state the following, "This claim is eligible for electronic submission. Up to a $1.10 reduction has been applied to this claim payment."

If a paid claim's total reimbursement amount is less than $1.10, ForwardHealth will reduce the payment up to a $1.10. The claim will show on the RA as paid but with a $0 paid amount.

The reimbursement reduction applies to the following paper claims:

• 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form
• UB-04 (CMS 1450) Claim Form
• Compound Drug Claim form
• Noncompound Drug Claim form

Exceptions to Paper Claim Reimbursement Reduction

The reimbursement reduction will not affect the following providers or claims:

• In-state emergency providers
• Out-of-state providers
• Medicare crossover claims
• Any claims that ForwardHealth requires additional supporting information to be submitted on paper, such as:
  • Hysterectomy claims must be submitted along with an Acknowledgment of Receipt of Hysterectomy Information form.
  • Sterilization claims must be submitted along with a paper Consent for Sterilization form.
  • Claims submitted to Timely Filing appeals must be submitted on paper with a Timely Filing Appeals Request form.
  • In certain circumstances, drug claims must be submitted on paper with a Pharmacy Special Handling Request form.
  • Claims submitted with four or more NDCs for compound and noncompound drugs with specific and non-specific HCPCS procedure codes.

Sleep Medicine Testing

Facility-Based Sleep Studies and Polysomnography

When submitting a professional claim to ForwardHealth for a facility-based sleep study or polysomnography, providers are reminded of the following:

• If less than six hours of testing were recorded, or if other reduced services were provided, modifier 52 (Reduced Services) must be indicated.
• It is not appropriate to bill twice for any single component of a sleep study.

Home-Based Sleep Studies

When submitting a professional claim to ForwardHealth for a home-based sleep study, providers are reminded of the following:

• If less than six hours of testing were recorded, or if other reduced services were provided, modifier 52 must be indicated.
• When billing for only the interpretation of a home-based sleep study, the code that was used for the technical service must be used with the POS code for where the physician performed the interpretation, along with modifier 26 (Professional Component), to indicate that only the professional service was performed.
• When billing for only the technical portion of a home-based sleep study, the procedure code and POS are based on the physical location of the service. Modifier TC (Technical Component) must be included to indicate that only the technical services were performed.
• It is not appropriate to bill twice for any single component of a sleep study.

Submitting Claims or Claim Adjustments for Separate Obstetric Care Components

When a provider does not meet the requirements to use global obstetric procedure codes on claims or claim adjustments for obstetric services, the provider is required to submit claims or claim adjustments for obstetric services as separate obstetric care components.

Claims or Claim Adjustments for Antepartum Care Visits

Antepartum care includes the following:

• Dipstick urinalysis.
• Routine exams.
• Recording of weight, blood pressure, and fetal heart tones.

Per ACOG guidelines, providers are required to complete all antepartum care visits before submitting claims or claim adjustments to ForwardHealth.

When submitting claims or claim adjustments for antepartum care as separate obstetric care components, the provider is required to use the following guidelines based on the number of antepartum care visits rendered:

• If the provider renders three or fewer antepartum care visits, the provider is required to submit a separate claim/claim detail (or adjustment) for each visit as follows:
  • Use the appropriate E&M service code representing the POS and visit level.
  • Include modifier TH (Obstetrical treatment/services, prenatal or postpartum) with the E&M service code.
  • Indicate the quantity as "1.0."
  • Indicate the date of the visit as the DOS.
• If the provider renders four to six antepartum care visits, the provider is required to submit one claim/claim detail (or adjustment) covering all visits as follows:
  • Use the antepartum care code 59425 (Antepartum care only; 4-6 visits).
  • Indicate the quantity as "1.0."
  • Indicate the date of the last antepartum care visit as the DOS.
• If the provider renders seven or more antepartum care visits, the provider is required to submit one claim/claim detail (or adjustment) covering all visits as follows:
  • Use the antepartum care code 59426 (Antepartum care only; 7 or more visits).
  • Indicate the quantity as "1.0."
  • Indicate the date of the last antepartum care visit as the DOS.

Note: A telephone call between the member and provider does not qualify as an antepartum care visit.

The table below summarizes these guidelines.

Reimbursement for antepartum care is limited to once per pregnancy, per member, per billing provider.

Claims or Claim Adjustments for Delivery

Delivery includes the following:

• Patient preparation.
• Placement of fetal heart or uterine monitors.
• Insertion of catheters.
• Delivery of the child and placenta.
• Injections of local anesthesia.
• Induction of labor.
• Artificial rupture of membranes.

Multiple Deliveries

When there are multiple deliveries (for example, twins or triplets), one claim or claim adjustment must be submitted for all of the deliveries as follows:

• On the first detail line of the claim or claim adjustment, the provider is required to indicate the appropriate global obstetric procedure code or delivery-only procedure code for the first delivery.
• The provider is required to indicate additional births on separate detail lines of the claim or claim adjustment, using the appropriate delivery-only procedure code for each subsequent delivery.

Claims or Claim Adjustments for Postpartum Care

Postpartum care includes all routine management and care of the postpartum patient provided during the postpartum inpatient hospital visit and the postpartum outpatient/office visit.

In accordance with ACOG standards, Wisconsin Medicaid reimburses for postpartum care (or global obstetric care), provided that both routine postpartum inpatient hospital care and a postpartum outpatient/office visit occur. Postpartum inpatient hospital care alone is included in the reimbursement for delivery.

When submitting a claim or claim adjustment for postpartum care, the DOS is the date of the postpartum outpatient/office visit. In order to receive reimbursement, the postpartum visit must be performed outside of the inpatient hospital setting.

The length of time between a delivery and the postpartum outpatient/office visit should be dictated by good medical practice. ForwardHealth does not dictate an "appropriate" period for postpartum care; however, the industry standard is six to eight weeks following delivery. A telephone call between the member and provider does not qualify as a postpartum visit.

Claims or Claim Adjustments for Delivery and Postpartum Care

Providers who perform both the delivery and postpartum care may submit claims or claim adjustments with either the separate delivery and postpartum codes or the delivery including postpartum care CPT procedure code, as appropriate. The DOS to indicate for the combination codes is the delivery date. However, if the member does not return for the postpartum visit, the provider is required to adjust the claim to reflect delivery only, or the reimbursement will be recouped through an audit.

Submitting Multiple National Drug Codes per Procedure Code

If two or more NDCs are submitted for a single procedure code, the procedure code is required to be repeated on separate details for each unique NDC. Whether billing a compound or noncompound drug, the procedures for billing multiple components (NDCs) with a single HCPCS code are the same.

Claim Submission Instructions for Claims With Two or Three National Drug Codes

When two NDCs are submitted on a claim, a KP modifier (first drug of a multiple drug unit dose formulation) is required on the first detail and a KQ modifier (second or subsequent drug of a multiple drug unit dose formulation) is required on the second detail.

For example, if a provider administers 150 mg of Synagis, and a 100 mg vial and a 50 mg vial were used, then the NDC from each vial must be submitted on the claim. Although the vials have different NDCs, the drug has one procedure code, 90378 (Respiratory syncytial virus, monoclonal antibody, recombinant, for intramuscular use, 50 mg, each). In this example, the same procedure code would be reported on two details of the claim and paired with different NDCs.

When three NDCs are submitted on a claim, a KP modifier is required on the first detail, a KQ modifier on the second detail, and the modifier should be left blank on the third detail.

For example, if a provider administers a mixture of 1 mg of hydromorphone HCl powder, 125 mg of bupivacaine HCl powder, and 50 ml of sodium chloride 0.9 percent solution, each NDC is required on a separate detail. However, this compound drug formulation is required to be billed under one procedure code, J3490 (Unclassified drugs), and the same procedure code must be reported on three separate details on the claim and paired with different NDCs.

Claims for physician-administered drugs with two or three NDCs may be submitted to ForwardHealth via the following methods:

• The 837P transaction
• PES software
• DDE on the ForwardHealth Portal
• A 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form

Claim Submission Instructions for Claims with Four or More National Drug Codes

Note: The reimbursement reduction for paper claims will not affect claims submitted on paper with four or more NDCs, as described above.

Submitting Paper Attachments With Electronic Claims

Providers may submit paper attachments to accompany electronic claims and electronic claim adjustments. Providers should refer to their companion guides for directions on indicating that a paper attachment will be submitted by mail.

Paper attachments that go with electronic claim transactions must be submitted with the Claim Form Attachment Cover Page. Providers are required to indicate an ACN for paper attachment(s) submitted with electronic claims. (The ACN is an alphanumeric entry between two and 80 digits assigned by the provider to identify the attachment.) The ACN must be indicated on the cover page so that ForwardHealth can match the paper attachment(s) to the correct electronic claim.

ForwardHealth will hold an electronic claim transaction or a paper attachment(s) for up to seven calendar days to find a match. If a match cannot be made within seven days, the claim will be processed without the attachment and will be denied if an attachment is required. When such a claim is denied, both the paper attachment(s) and the electronic claim will need to be resubmitted.

Providers are required to send paper attachments relating to electronic claim transactions to the following address:

ForwardHealth
Claims and Adjustments
313 Blettner Blvd
Madison WI 53784

This does not apply to compound and noncompound claims.

Surgical Procedures Billed on Professional Claims

Certain surgical procedures billed on professional claims (the 837P transaction or the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form) may be reimbursed only when performed in an inpatient hospital or an ASC.

Uploading Claim Attachments Via the Portal

Providers are able to upload attachments for most claims via the secure Provider area of the ForwardHealth Portal. This allows providers to submit all components for claims electronically.

Providers are able to upload attachments via the Portal when a claim is suspended and an attachment was indicated but not yet received. Providers are able to upload attachments for any suspended claim that was submitted electronically. Providers should note that all attachments for a suspended claim must be submitted within the same business day.

Claim Types

Providers will be able to upload attachments to claims via the Portal for the following claim types:

• Professional
• Institutional
• Dental

The submission policy for compound and noncompound drug claims does not allow attachments.

Document Formats

Providers are able to upload documents in the following formats:

• JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg)
• PDF (.pdf)
• Rich Text Format (.rtf)
• Text File (.txt)

JPEG files must be stored with a .jpg or .jpeg extension; text files must be stored with a .txt extension; rich text format files must be stored with a .rtf extension; and PDF files must be stored with a .pdf extension.

Microsoft Word files (.doc) cannot be uploaded but can be saved and uploaded in Rich Text Format or Text File formats.

Uploading Claim Attachments

Claims Submitted by Direct Data Entry

When a provider submits a DDE claim and indicates an attachment will also be included, a feature button will appear and link to the DDE claim screen where attachments can be uploaded.

Providers are still required to indicate on the DDE claim that the claim will include an attachment via the Attachments panel.

Claims will suspend for seven days before denying for not receiving the attachment.

Claims Submitted by Provider Electronic Software and 837 Health Care Claim Transactions

Providers submitting claims via 837 transactions are required to indicate attachments via the PWK segment. Providers submitting claims via PES software will be required to indicate attachments via the attachment control field. Once the claim has been submitted, providers will be able to search for the claim on the Portal and upload the attachment via the Portal. Refer to the Implementation Guides for how to use the PWK segment in 837 transactions and the PES Manual for how to use the attachment control field.

Claims will suspend for seven days before denying for not receiving the attachment.