Monthly Archives - January 2022

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! New Autism Services Benefit for Medicaid Recipients

Date: January 28, 2022 Attention: Primary Care Providers, Developmental Pediatricians, and Neurologists Effective Date: February 1, 2022 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Effective for dates of service on or after February 1, 2022, Autism Services, to include Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) evaluation...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Removal of Specialist Requirement from Clinical Prior Authorization Criteria

Date: January 28, 2022 Attention: Providers Effective Date: January 3, 2022 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Effective January 3, 2022, HHSC removed the specialist requirement from the following clinical prior authorization criteria: CGRP Antagonist, Acute CGRP Antagonists, Chronic Emflaza Ophthalmic Immunomodulators Palforzia Transthyretin Agents VMAT2 Inhibitors Wakix Xyrem/Xywav Zelboraf How this impacts providers: Providers...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Prior Authorization Criteria for Enzyme Replacement Therapy

Date: January 28, 2022 Attention: Providers Effective Date: March 1, 2022 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Effective March 1, 2022, HHSC will require prior authorization for all enzyme replacement therapies for Medicaid and CHIP. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is a medical treatment...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Season Ends February 1st

Date: January 28, 2022 Attention: Primary care providers Effective Date: February 1, 2022 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: HHSC will close the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season in all regions on February 1st, 2022. The 2021-22 traditional RSV season began on October 1, 2021,...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Medicaid Preferred Drug List and Formulary Changes

Date: January 25, 2022 Attention: All Providers Subject: Medicaid Preferred Drug List and Formulary Changes Effective Date: January 27, 2022 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: The Texas Vendor Drug Program (VDP) implemented changes to the state Medicaid drug formulary, effective Thursday, January 27, 2022....

Provider Alert! Merck Oral COVID-19 drug, Molnupiravir, Added to Formulary

Date: January 24, 2022 Attention: Primary care providers Effective Date: January 3, 2022 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: HHSC added Molnupiravir to the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) formulary as a payable pharmacy benefit on January 3rd, 2021. Molnupiravir is indicated...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Temporary Change in PDL Status for the Tetracyclines Drug Class

Date: January 24, 2022 Attention: Primary care providers Effective Date: January 11, 2022 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: HHSC is aware of a drug shortage for Vibramycin 25mg/5mL suspension in the Tetracyclines drug class because of the discontinuation of this product by Pfizer. In...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! HHSC Interoperability and Health Information Exchange Survey for Behavioral Health Providers Open

Date: January 25, 2022 Attention: Behavioral Health Providers Survey will be available: January 24, 2022 thru February 18, 2022 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: The intent of this survey is to gather information on the interoperability needs and technology readiness of behavioral health...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Signature Requirement Reinstated on DME Forms

Date: January 19, 2022 Attention: DME Providers Effective Date: January 1, 2022 TCHP COVID-19 Utilization Management Procedure and TCHP provider alerts can be found here: http://www.thecheckup.org/provider-alerts/ TCHP network providers should monitor the TCHP Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Effective January 1, 2022, a member or member’s authorized representative’s signature is required on DME Certification and...

Provider Alert! COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Code 0004A Update

Date: January 20, 2022 Attention: Primary Care Providers Effective Date: January 3, 2022 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Effective January 3, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administration code 0004Ato...