DAR File No. 38129

Health, Health Care Financing, Coverage and Reimbursement Policy

Section R414-306-5

Medical Transportation

Notice of Proposed Rule

(Amendment)

DAR File No.: 38129
Filed: 11/13/2013 07:58:54 AM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

The purpose of this change is to streamline and consolidate the scope of medical transportation for Medicaid recipients.

Summary of the rule or change:

This amendment consolidates the scope of medical transportation by removing criteria in the rule text, and deferring to the scope of services found in the Medical Transportation Utah Medicaid Provider Manual.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Section 26-18-3
• Section 26-1-5

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

There is no impact to the state budget because this change only consolidates the scope of medical transportation for Medicaid recipients.

local governments:

There is no impact to local governments because they do not fund or provide medical transportation to Medicaid recipients.

small businesses:

There is no impact to small businesses because this change only consolidates the scope of medical transportation for Medicaid recipients.

persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local governmental entities:

There is no impact to Medicaid providers and to Medicaid recipients because this change only consolidates the scope of medical transportation for Medicaid recipients.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

There are no compliance costs to a single Medicaid provider or to a Medicaid recipient because this change only consolidates the scope of medical transportation for Medicaid recipients.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

There is no change to benefits so no effect on business.

David Patton, PhD, Executive Director

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Health
Health Care Financing, Coverage and Reimbursement Policy
CANNON HEALTH BLDG
288 N 1460 W
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84116-3231

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

• Craig Devashrayee at the above address, by phone at 801-538-6641, by FAX at 801-538-6099, or by Internet E-mail at cdevashrayee@utah.gov

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

12/31/2013

This rule may become effective on:

01/07/2014

Authorized by:

David Patton, Executive Director

R414. Health, Health Care Financing, Coverage and Reimbursement Policy.

R414-306. Program Benefits and Date of Eligibility.

R414-306-5. Medical Transportation.

The Medical Transportation program provides medical transportation services for Medicaid recipients in accordance with the Medical Transportation Utah Medicaid Provider Manual, as incorporated into Section R414-1-5.

[(1) The Department provides non-emergency medical transportation as required by 42 CFR 431.53.

(2) The following applies to all forms of non-emergency medical transportation including services provided by a contracted medical transportation provider and reimbursement for use of personal transportation.

(a) Non-emergency medical transportation is limited to transportation expenses to go to and from the nearest appropriate Medicaid provider to obtain a Medicaid covered service that is medically necessary. If the recipient chooses to travel to a Medicaid provider that is not the nearest appropriate provider, reimbursement of mileage is limited to the distance to go to the nearest appropriate provider. The Department will not cover transportation expenses to go to non-Medicaid providers, or to obtain services not covered by the Medicaid plan.

(b) Non-emergency medical transportation is limited to individuals who are covered under the Traditional Medicaid benefit plan. Individuals covered by the Non-Traditional Medicaid plan, the Primary Care Network, the Covered-At-Work program, and Medicare Cost-Sharing programs are not eligible for non-emergency medical transportation.

(c) If transportation is available to a Traditional Medicaid recipient without cost to the recipient, the recipient shall use this transportation. A Traditional Medicaid recipient who needs specialized transportation and who meets the criteria for the Medicaid transportation contractor services found in Subsection R414-306-5(14) may receive transportation from the Medicaid transportation contractor.

(d) A Traditional Medicaid recipient who has access to and is able to use public transportation to get to medical appointments may receive a bus pass upon request. The bus pass may be used to pay the fare for an attendant who accompanies a recipient under age 18 or a recipient who has a medical need for an attendant. A recipient who has access to and is capable of using public paratransit services can request authorization to use such transportation. The recipient must follow procedures and meet criteria required by the paratransit provider.

(e) Transportation for picking up prescriptions is not covered unless en route to or from a medical appointment.

(f) The Department will not provide non-emergency medical transportation to nursing home residents because the nursing home must provide the transportation as part of its contracted rate.

(g) The Department will not provide non-emergency medical transportation to and from mental health appointments for recipients covered by a prepaid Mental Health Plan because the prepaid Mental Health Plan must provide transportation, as part of its contracted rate, to recipients to obtain covered mental health services.

(h) If medical services are not available in-state, a Traditional Medicaid recipient must receive prior authorization from the Department for the services and the transportation. If the services and the transportation are approved, the Department shall determine, at its discretion, the most cost effective and appropriate transportation, and method of payment for the transportation.

(3) If personal transportation is used and it is the most reasonable and economical mode of transportation available, the local office shall reimburse actual mileage at the rate of $0.18 per mile. The Department may deny reimbursement for multiple trips in a day unless the client can demonstrate why multiple trips were necessary. Total reimbursement for mileage must not exceed $150.00 a month per household, unless:

(a) an eligibility worker determines that higher reimbursement is necessary because a recipient's medical condition requires frequent travel to a Medicaid provider to obtain Medicaid covered services that are medically necessary; or

(b) an eligibility worker or supervisor determines that higher reimbursement is necessary because a recipient had an unusual medical need in a given month that required frequent or long-distance travel to a Medicaid provider to obtain Medicaid covered services that were medically necessary.

(4) The local office supervisor can authorize advance payment for use of personal transportation, overnight stay costs, or both, if the provider verifies the medical appointment, and the client would be unable to obtain the necessary medical services without an advance. The recipient is responsible to repay an advance if the recipient does not provide verification of travel expenses equal to or greater than the amount of funds advanced within 10 days after returning from the scheduled appointment.

(5) Transportation reimbursement for use of a personal vehicle may be made to the recipient, to a second party, or to the recipient and second party jointly.

(6) If two or more Traditional Medicaid recipients travel together in a personal vehicle, reimbursement shall be made to only one recipient, or to the driver, and only for the actual miles traveled.

(7) If medical services are not available locally, a Traditional Medicaid recipient may be reimbursed for transportation to obtain medical services outside of the recipient's local area. If the closest medical provider is out-of-state, a recipient may be reimbursed for transportation to the out-of-state provider if this travel is more cost effective than traveling to an in-state provider. The medical provider's office must verify that the recipient needs to travel outside the local area for medical services, unless:

(a) there are no Medicaid providers in the local area who can provide the services; or

(b) it is the custom in the local area to obtain medical services outside the local area or in neighboring states.

(8) A Traditional Medicaid recipient who receives medical treatment outside of the recipient's local area may receive reimbursement for lodging costs when staying overnight, if:

(a) the recipient is obtaining a Medicaid covered service that is medically necessary from the nearest Medicaid provider that can treat the recipient's medical condition; and

(b) the recipient must travel over 100 miles to obtain the medical treatment and would not arrive home before 8:00 p.m. due to the drive time;

(c) the recipient must travel over 100 miles to obtain the medical treatment and would have to leave home before 6:30 a.m. due to drive time to arrive at the scheduled appointment; or

(d) the medical treatment requires an overnight stay.

(9) The Department shall reimburse actual lodging and food costs or $50 per night, whichever is less. Reimbursement for food costs shall be no more than $25 of the $50 overnight reimbursement rate.

(10) If a recipient has a medical need to stay more than two nights to receive medical services, the recipient must obtain approval from the Department before expenses for additional nights can be reimbursed.

(11) If a recipient has a medical need for a companion or attendant when traveling outside of the recipient's local area, and the recipient is not staying in a medical facility, lodging costs for the companion or attendant may be reimbursed according to the rate specified in Subsection R414-306-5(9). The reimbursement may also include salary if the attendant is not a member of the recipient's family, but not for standby time. One parent or guardian may qualify as an attendant if the parent or guardian must receive medical instructions to meet the recipient's needs, or the recipient is a minor child.

(12) Reimbursements for personal transportation shall not be made for trips made more than 12 months before the month the client requests reimbursement, with one exception. If a client is granted coverage for months more than one year prior to the eligibility decision, the client may request reimbursement and provide verification for personal transportation costs incurred during those months. In this case, the client must make the request and provide verification within three months after receiving the eligibility decision.

(13) Reimbursement for fee-for-service providers:

(a) Payments for Medical transportation are based on the established fee schedule unless a lower amount is billed. The amount billed cannot exceed usual and customary charges to private pay patients.

(b) Fees are established using the methodology described in the Utah Medicaid State Plan, Attachment 4.19-B Section R, Transportation.

(14) Medical Transportation under a Section 1915(b) waiver using a transportation contractor:

(a) Non-emergency medical transportation will be provided by a contracted transportation provider. The contractor provides non-emergency medical transportation services statewide, either as the primary provider or through a subcontractor. Transportation service under the waiver do not include bus passes and paratransit services by a public carrier, such as Flextrans.

(b) Prior authorization is required for all transportation services provided through the contractor.

(c) If the medical service is not available within the state, or the nearest Medicaid provider is outside the state, medical transportation to services outside of Utah is covered up to 120 ground travel miles one-way outside of the Utah border. The ride must originate or end within Utah borders. Non-emergency transportation originating and ending outside of Utah is not covered.

(d) A recipient is not eligible for non-emergency medical transportation services if the recipient owns a licensed vehicle or lives in a residence with a family member who owns a licensed vehicle, unless a physician verifies that the nature of the recipient's medical condition or disability makes driving inadvisable and there is no family member physically able to drive the recipient to and from medical appointments.

(e) A recipient is not eligible for non-emergency medical transportation services if public transportation is available in the recipient's area, unless the public transportation is inappropriate for the recipient's medical or mental condition as certified by a physician.

(f) A recipient is not eligible for non-emergency medical transportation services if paratransit services such as Flextrans are available in the recipient's area, unless the recipient's medical condition requires door to door services due to physical inability to get from the curb or parking lot to the medical provider's facility. This inability must be certified by a physician. To be eligible for transportation under the waiver, the recipient must receive a denial of services letter from Flextrans or other paratransit services.

(g) Transportation for urgent care services is provided under the provisions of items (d), (e) and (f) above and will be provided within 24 hours of request. Urgent care is defined as non-emergency medical care which is considered by the prudent lay person as medically safe to wait for medical attention within the next 24 hours.

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KEY: effective date, program benefits, medical transportation

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [November 1, 2010]2014

Notice of Continuation: January 23, 2013

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 26-18