| TO: | ALL COUNTY OFFICES |
| FROM: | JANEL R. LUCK, DIRECTOR |
| SUBJECT: | MO HEALTHNET FOR KIDS STATE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (SCHIP) PREMIUM NOTICE CHANGES MANUAL REVISION #8: 0920.020.15.05, 0920.020.15.10, 0920.040.00, 0920.045.00 |
DISCUSSION:
Effective January 16, 2008, the Department of Social Services (DSS) MO HealthNet Division (MHD) implemented changes to the invoicing process for MO HealthNet for Kids SCHIP Premium program. The following changes to invoicing notification for MO HealthNet for Kids (MHK) premium cases (CHIP 73, CHIP 74, and CHIP 75 in FAMIS) have been made:
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The Late Payment Notices have been replaced by Failure to Pay Notices. Information is included on the Failure to Pay Notice informing the participant to contact his or her eligibility specialist within ten days if there has been a change in address, household income or number of people.
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A new Notice of Case Action has been created. This notice informs participants who have not paid their premium of their right to appeal and option to continue healthcare coverage pending a hearing decision if requested by the participant within ten days of the notice.
Changes to Existing Invoice Notification Process Effective January 16, 2008
Effective January 16, 2008, MHD implemented notification letters that allow for termination of healthcare coverage due to failure to pay a premium.
The order the notifications are sent to participants is as follows:
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Initial Invoice;
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Recurring Invoice;
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Failure to Pay Notice (LOC 2 and LOC 3);
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Notice of Case Action; and
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Closing Letter (LOC 2 and LOC 3).
Initial and Recurring Invoices
There are no changes to the Initial and Recurring Invoices sent to MO HealthNet for Kids Premium participants. These notices remain similar to those noted in Income Maintenance Memorandum IM-52 dated May 12, 2006, except that invoices have been updated to reflect the change in names to MO HealthNet Division and MO HealthNet for Kids.
A Failure to Pay Notice (formerly referred to as Late Payment Notice) is sent to participants whose premium payment is not received by the due date noted on the Initial Level of Care (LOC) Change Invoice or the Recurring Invoice. A Failure to Pay Notice states that premium payment is past due and gives the participant an additional 20 days for the payment to be received before coverage is ended.
The Failure to Pay Notice is revised to allow participants an opportunity to show that their income or household size has changed prior to ending coverage due to failure to pay a premium.
Participants are informed that they must contact their Family Support Division (FSD) eligibility specialist (ES) within ten days of the date of the notice to report changes in income and/or household size. If a participant reports one or both of these changes, the eligibility specialist must take the following steps:
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The ES must enter reported information into FAMIS immediately. If a change in income is reported enter the current budget month or the following month if the change is not effective until the next month. FAMIS will run an eligibility determination to determine if there is a change in level of care or premium amount.
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The eligibility specialist informs the participant to contact the MO HealthNet Premium Collections Unit at 1-877-888-2811 regarding the outstanding invoice.
Example:
Mr. Thompson's child Mike has been receiving SCHIP premium coverage, CHIP74 in FAMIS. He fails to pay the Recurring Invoice for $52 sent April 1. Mr. Thompson is mailed a Failure to Pay Notice on April 15 stating he is being given an additional twenty (20) days to pay his premium, due now by May 5. Mr. Thompson notifies his FSD ES on April 18 that Mike's child support income decreased by $50. The ES verifies the change in income through the FAMIS interface and enters the adjusted income with a budget month of April. The eligibility specialist informs the participant to contact the MO HealthNet Premium Collections Unit for information regarding the outstanding invoice.
The Notice of Case Action is sent to participants whose premium payment is not received by the due date noted on the Failure to Pay Notices. This new notice states that the participant's premium payment has not been received, and that coverage will end in ten (10) days. Participants are informed that coverage may continue if a hearing is requested within ten (10) days.
Participants requesting hearings on termination of coverage and/or eligibility for a child(ren) receiving SCHIP Premium coverage due to non-payment of a premium may request a hearing through the Family Support Division office. DO NOT tell the participant that they must contact the MO HealthNet Division's (MHD's) Premium Collections Unit to request the hearing.
If a participant requests a hearing due to an SCHIP Premium child losing eligibility or coverage, the eligibility specialist must determine whether the reason for hearing request is due to a case action taken by FSD or due to non-payment of a premium. If the request appears to be due to non-payment of a premium, the FSD eligibility specialist must fax a copy of the IM-87 Hearing Request form to the MO HealthNet Hearings Unit at (573) 526-2471 on the date of the request. File the original IM-87 in the participant's case record.
MHD's Premium Collection Unit will continue to provide coverage for the child(ren) affected by the hearing request. There will be no affect to FSD eligibility. MHD will essentially be holding the close action for failure to pay a premium. If the participant loses the hearing, MHD will send the closing action to close coverage and/or eligibility. MHD will file the claim for any MO HealthNet benefits received that the participant's child(ren) was not eligible to receive.
NOTE: Do not put a hold on the SCHIP case due to a hearing requested because of non-payment of premium.
Closing Letter
The Closing Letter is sent to participants who either:
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have not requested a hearing by the due date noted on the Notice of Case Action;
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whose premium payment has not been received by the hearing request due date; or,
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have requested a hearing and subsequently either withdrew the request or have received notification that their hearing request did not affirm the participant.
The Closing Letter for families with income over 150% of federal poverty level (FPL) up to 225% FPL (CHIP 73 and CHIP 74 cases in FAMIS) states that coverage may start again when the premium payment is received, and contains an Initial Invoice. The Closing Letter for families with income over 225% FPL but less than 300% FPL (CHIP 75 cases in FAMIS) states that coverage ends and the child(ren) will not be eligible for coverage for six (6) months.
Both Closing Letters give the participant ninety (90) day appeal rights.
NECESSARY ACTION:
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Participants who have questions about payments mailed in or how they may have been applied to their case must be directed to contact the Premium Collections Unit toll free at 1-877-888-2811.
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A copy of the Application for State Hearing (IM-87) requested for SCHIP participants losing coverage for non-payment of premium MUST be faxed to the MO HealthNet Premium Collection Unit at (573) 526-2471 on the date of the request.
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Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.
