Prior Authorizations

Prior Authorization Information

How to Request Clinical Criteria

To obtain the medical necessity criteria used for a specific service, you may contact Utilization Management.

Fax: (202) 721-7190
Email: UM@hschealth.org

Authorization Requirements for Covered Services

View Prior Authorization Requirements [XLS - 31 KB]

Definition of a Medically Necessary Service:

a) Definition of a Medically Necessary Service: A service is Medically Necessary if a physician or other treating health Provider, exercising prudent clinical judgment, would provide or order the service for an Enrollee for the purpose of evaluating, diagnosing or treating illness, injury, disease, physical or mental health conditions, or their symptoms, and the provision of the service is in compliance with 1905(a) of the Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1396d(a), to correct or ameliorate defects and physical and mental illnesses and conditions discovered by the screening services, whether or not such services are covered under the State Plan. Medically Necessary services shall be:

i) No more restrictive than those used in the Medicaid program, including quantitative and non-quantitative treatment limits, as indicated in District statutes and regulations, the State Plan, and other District policy and procedures;

ii) Services and benefits that promote normal growth and development and prevent, diagnose, detect, treat, ameliorate the effects or a physical, mental, behavioral, genetic, or congenital condition, injury, or disability for CASSIP Enrollees;

iii) Provided in accordance with generally accepted standards of medical practice;

iv) Clinically appropriate, in terms of type, frequency, extent, site and duration, and considered effective for the Enrollee’s illness, injury, disease, or physical or behavioral health condition;

v) Not primarily for the convenience of the Enrollee or treating physician, or other treating healthcare Providers, and more cost effective than an alternative service or sequence of services, and at least as likely to produce equivalent therapeutic or diagnostic results with respect to the diagnosis or treatment of that Enrollee’s illness, injury, disease or physical or mental health condition; and Specific to the Enrollee and shall take into account available clinical evidence, as well as recommendations of the treating clinician and other clinical, educational, and social services professionals who treat or interact with the Enrollee.

Submitting A Request for Prior Authorization

Prior Authorization Submission Process

For services requiring prior authorization, providers must submit requests to the Utilization Management (UM) Department via the following methods:

• Fax: (202) 721-7190
• Email: UM@hschealth.org

Non-urgent requests will be addressed within 5 business days.

For Urgent requests requiring immediate attention, please submit your request via:

• Email: ERequests@childrensnational.org
• Fax: (202) 407-8955

Urgent requests will be responded to within 24 hours.

Note: Emergency and Stabilization Services (ER Services) never require a prior authorization request regardless of the network status of practitioner, providers or facility providing ER Services.

Out of Network services always require prior authorization.  If a provider elects to refer an HSCSN enrollee to a non-participating (out-of-network) provider/specialist for any reason, prior authorization must be obtained from HSCSN before the HSCSN enrollee receives the services.

The following services require notification to the HSCSN Utilization Management Department:

For inpatient admission to a hospital, notification is required within 24 hours of admission. Clinical documents must be submitted by the next business day.

Clinical documents must be submitted by the next business day.

Newborn Deliveries within 24 hours of delivery or the next business day.

Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Delivery Notification

Delivery of Durable Medical Equipment (DME) requires notification to be provided within 24 hours of delivery, or by the next business day.

Services That Do Not Require Prior Authorization

The following services DO NOT REQUIRE prior authorization when performed by an in-network provider:

• Primary care office visits
• Primary dental office visits
• Specialty physician office visits
• Well woman and obstetrical care (including oral contraceptives, contraceptive injections such as Depo-Provera, intrauterine devices such as Mirena or Copper)
• Vision services (ophthalmology, optometry) including eyeglasses (1 pair per 24 months)
• Outpatient mental health services (psychiatric evaluation, substance abuse treatment, medication management, and therapy (individual, group, family services)
• Laboratory services
• Radiology services (including x-rays, sonograms/ultrasounds, MRIs, CT and PET Scans)
• Nebulizer machines
• Standard Diapers and Incontinence supplies
• Breast pumps
• CPAP supplies
• Emergency services
• Orthotic devices dispensed in the Emergency Room such as canes and crutches
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) evaluations (treatment requires PA)
• Psychology and Neuropsychology evaluations (up to 1 every 3 years)

Services Requiring Prior Authorization

The following services DO REQUIRE prior authorization when performed by an in-network provider:

• Inpatient Hospital Services
• Surgical Procedures
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy
• Outpatient Rehabilitative Therapies:
  • Speech-Language Therapy (ST)
  • Physical Therapy (PT)
  • Occupational Therapy (OT)
• Home Health Services:
  • Skilled Nursing Visits
  • Home Health Aide Services
  • Home-Based PT, OT, or ST
• Private-Duty Nursing (PDN) Services
• Personal Care Aide (PCA) Services
• Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and Disposable Medical Supplies (DMS)
• Respite Services
• Summer Program Benefit
• Tele nutrition services – more than 12 visits per rolling 12 months
• Elective Procedures and Surgeries
• Hemodialysis
• Medical Injectables & Infusions
• Intensive Day Treatment/Partial Hospitalization/Day Rehabilitation Programs
• Admission or Transfer to subacute facilities:
  • Rehabilitation facilities
  • Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)
  • Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF)
  • Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disability (ICF-IID)
• All Out-of-Network Services

Admission to hospitals for acute care requires concurrent review. The hospital needs to notify HSCSN within 24 hours of admission and subsequent clinicals by the next business day.