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Update to Inpatient Psychiatric Services Benefit Language Effective October 1, 2021

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Note: Texas Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) must provide all medically necessary, Medicaid-covered services to eligible clients. Administrative procedures such as prior authorization, pre-certification, referrals, and claims/encounter data filing may differ from traditional Medicaid (fee-for-service) and from MCO to MCO. Providers should contact the client's specific MCO for details.

Effective for dates of service on or after October 1, 2021, benefit language will be updated for inpatient psychiatric services.

The following list summarizes the changes to the benefit language:

  • “Freestanding and State Psychiatric Facilities” will be renamed “Privately and Publicly Operated Psychiatric Facilities,” and the general term “psychiatric facilities” will be used when referring to either.
  • The benefit will include information about coverage for persons who are 65 years of age or older.
  • The benefit will require prior authorization for extended stays in psychiatric facilities for persons 65 years of age or older in fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid.
  • Outpatient mental health services information will be removed. Information about outpatient mental health services can be found in the Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual Behavioral Health and Case Management Services Handbook section 4, “Outpatient Mental Health Services.”
  • Only one revenue code (124) will be used for persons 20 years of age or younger and 65 years of age or older in FFS Medicaid.
  • The Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual, Behavioral Health and Case Management Services Handbook section 7, “Psychiatric Services for Hospitals,” will be renamed to “Inpatient Psychiatric Services” and updated to remove duplicative information.

Requests Submitted Through Prior Authorization Portal

Beginning October 1, 2021, the authorization area for requests submitted through the Prior Authorization (PA) on the Portal for extended inpatient psychiatric services in psychiatric facilities for persons 20 years of age or younger in FFS Medicaid will change from CCIP (Medicaid) to CCP (Medicaid).

Beginning October 1, 2021, the authorization area for requests submitted through the Prior Authorization (PA) on the Portal for extended inpatient psychiatric services in psychiatric facilities for persons 65 years of age or older in FFS Medicaid will be Special Medical Prior Authorization (SMPA) (Medicaid).

Authorization requests for court-ordered services will require only the court order signed by the judge and supporting documentation; for details, refer to the Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual, Inpatient and Outpatient Hospital Services Handbook section 3.4, “Services, Benefits, Limitations, and Prior Authorization—Inpatient Psychiatric Services.”

Authorization requests for court-ordered services will require only the court order signed by the judge and supporting documentation.

For details, refer to the Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual, Inpatient and Outpatient Hospital Services Handbook section 3.4, “Services, Benefits, Limitations, and Prior Authorization—Inpatient Psychiatric Services.”

For more information, call the TMHP Contact Center at 800-925-9126.