IBHS FAQ

Providers who are contracted to complete the level of care called Best Practice Evaluations should send those claims to Community Care as the primary payer. The modified codes that should be billed as primary are 90791-HA (Initial Best Practice Evaluation) & 90791-EP (Continued Stay Best Practice Evaluation). For providers contracted to deliver the evaluation service that is billed with an “SC” modifier 90791-SC (Best Practice Evaluation – Preferred Prescriber), that service code should also be billed as primary for Community Care members.

Yes, we are recommending that providers submit required documentation to Community Care when services are initiated. Documentation will be processed as usual by Community Care, including the timing and duration of the Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) order and assessment. Documentation will be reviewed for medical necessity and the resulting authorizations entered into the care management system. If providers receive claims denials for services by the primary/commercial insured, the authorization will then be in the system so that the secondary claim can be processed.

If you have submitted documentation to Community Care, you will be included in the various IBHS reports that we are required to send to DHS. Therefore, if you have received an authorization from us, we are still requiring that you submit the various reports and follow the same policies as if we were the primary payer.

The provider must complete an appeal if the private insurance affords the provider the opportunity to do so. Once the provider receives the "final" appeal outcome, include the document along with the claim when submitting to Community Care.

When providers submit packets to Community Care, the same standards as are used now will still be in place. For any request for a Community Care authorization, providers are expected to follow all of our procedures and forms requirements prior to that authorization being granted.

The basic evaluation, 90791, is a service that is covered under Act 62. Community Care is not changing its authorization policies regarding evaluations, however, in most cases, the initial (pre-ASD diagnosis) can be billed to the primary insurer. Members can get an evaluation regardless of outcome. However, many commercial insurers already pay for evaluations too, so this is not a service that is exempt from coordination of benefits rules. If the provider gets a denial on an evaluation service, then Community Care will be happy to pay it when we receive the secondary claim with the appropriate claims attachment. Please note that this answer pertains to the standard evaluation and not the evaluation that is modified to indicate the Best Practice Evaluation. BP evaluations occur after the initial diagnostic evaluation has been completed.

Act 62 only applies to insurance companies/products licensed in Pennsylvania so in that case, Act 62 does not apply.

Please call the Provider Line at 1-888-251-2224 to discuss all claim-related questions.

For a child who you discover will be Act 62 eligible in the future, call the Provider Line with the information above and the date of eligibility. We will add to the claims flag.

The annual financial benefit limit changes based on the U.S. Dept of Labor Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). Private insurance companies issue an exhaustion letter when the ASD benefit limit is exhausted. Please be sure to include the exhaustion letter with each and every ASD claim submitted to Community Care.

Providers are required to bill all private insurance carriers prior to submitting a claim to Community Care. Community Care is the payer of last resort.

No, Community Care may not use HealthChoices dollars to increase the amount paid to a provider when that provider has a contract with the primary payer to accept a specific amount. In other words, if the provider agreed to accept that fee, then Community Care is not able to use public program dollars to pay more than they’ve agreed to accept.