Monthly Archives - December 2018
19Dec

Antivirals and the flu: know when the time is right

Antiviral medications play a role in treating influenza, but they are not a substitute for vaccination.  According to CDC recommendations, all patients at high risk for complications who appear to have influenza should be considered for early antiviral treatment, independent of laboratory confirmation or influenza vaccine status. This approach can help reduce morbidity and mortality, particularly in young children and those who have underlying co-morbidities. Clinical trials and observational data show that early antiviral treatment can shorten the duration of...

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19Dec

CDC data release shows STD diagnoses at record high in U.S.

CDC data release shows STD diagnoses at record high in U.S. The CDC has released preliminary surveillance data presented at the 2018 STD Prevention Conference in Washington, D.C. Data analysis of the five year trend of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) showed a sharp increase in STDs for four consecutive years (see chart). In 2017, almost 2.3 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported to the CDC, an increase of more than 200,000 cases from 2016 (see graph). Young women continue...

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19Dec

Nutritional supplement guideline change

Effective 10/1/2018, Texas Children’s Health Plan will no longer require prior authorization for nutritional products for members 20 years and younger who: receive all or part of their nutritional intake through a tube as documented by ICD-10 codes (z43.1; z93.1, z93.4), OR have a metabolic disorder that has been documented with one of the diagnosis codes listed in the current TMPPM Section 2.2.17.2.2. Providers will retain the responsibility of maintaining appropriate documentation for the nutritional products supplied. A retrospective review may be performed...

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11Dec

Texas Children’s Health plan provider and member portals

As a Texas Children’s Health Plan provider, you have access to the Texas Children’s Health Plan provider portal, called TouCHPoint. This portal can be used to check member eligibility, benefits, primary care provider selection, and claims status. To access Provider TouCHPoint, just log on to TexasChildrensHealthPlan.org/for-providers and find the TouCHPoint log-in on the right-hand side of the web page. Texas Children’s Health Plan members can access their own portal at TexasChildrensHealthPlan.org/for-members. The Member Portal allows your patients to play an active...

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07Dec

Dental caries and fluoride varnish: not just for dentists

Dental caries remains the most common chronic disease of childhood in the United States.  In fact, dental caries affects more than half of Texas children. Primary care providers play a key role in the prevention of dental caries. To help ensure dental health, all children 6 months of age and older should be referred to a dental home. Additionally, periodic oral evaluations and application of fluoride varnish in the medical home during well child or THSteps exams can help combat...

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02Dec

Authorization and Verification Process Updates

Authorization and Verification Process Updates                                   Texas Children’s Health Plan has made updates to the authorization process. Individual Member Fax Requests To ensure Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance, providers must send one fax request per member with each fax having its own cover sheet. Requests received with multiple members per fax will be returned to the provider and not processed. Minimum Information Required to Process a Request Providers must use the Texas Standard Prior Authorization Request Form*, which can be found at...

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