AHCA-Designated Transplant Centers
Transplants are restricted to organ transplant programs approved by the Secretary for AHCA, based on the recommendations of the Organ Transplant Advisory Council and the Florida Medicaid Program.
All transplant hospitals must request the AHCA transplant center designation application from the AHCA transplant coordinator. The application will be reviewed by AHCA and the Organ Transplant Advisory Council. A
recommendation will be presented to the AHCA Secretary for designation. A site review may be performed by a representative from AHCA and the Organ Transplant Advisory Council if the facility is not presently designated as a Medicaid transplant center for other solid organ transplants.
The address for the AHCA transplant coordinator is:
Agency for Health Care Administration Attn: Transplant Coordinator
2727 Mahan Drive, MS 20 Tallahassee, FL 32308
Note: Contact the area Medicaid office for a list of AHCA-designated
transplant centers. See the Florida Medicaid Provider General Handbook for a list of area Medicaid office telephone numbers. Area office telephone
numbers are also available on the AHCA Web site at www.ahca.myflorida.com.
In-State Transplants and Evaluations
In-state transplants and evaluations must be performed at an AHCA-designated transplant center.
Organ Transplants Reimbursed by Global Payment Methodology
Global payment methodology is utilized for all of the following:
• Adult heart, liver, lung, and intestine/multivisceral transplants; and
• Pediatric lung and intestine/multivisceral transplants.
Transplant Evaluation
A comprehensive evaluation must be performed at an AHCA-designated transplant facility. The comprehensive evaluation is completed by the AHCA-designated facility’s transplant team for determination of candidacy for a transplant surgical procedure.
The comprehensive transplant evaluation may be performed in either the inpatient hospital setting, if the recipient requires hospitalization, or outpatient hospital setting. Inpatient evaluations are not permitted solely for the
convenience of the physician or the recipient.
Organ and Bone Marrow Transplant Services
, continuedChildren Enrolled in Children’s Medical Services (CMS)
If the recipient is enrolled in Children’s Medical Services (CMS), a Division of the Florida Department of Health, the CMS nurse must be contacted for coordination and processing of all medical records and compiling of all necessary documents to forward to the Medicaid contracted QIO. The CMS nurse will also provide pre-transplant and post-transplant case management.
Adult Heart, Liver,
Lung, and Intestine/
Multivisceral and Pediatric Lung and Intestine/
Multivisceral Transplant Global Reimbursement
Adult heart, liver, lung, and intestine/multivisceral, as well as pediatric lung and intestine/multivisceral transplant services are reimbursed with an all-inclusive global payment to include the facility and physician fees for the transplant surgery, complications, and related follow-up care for 365 days post discharge.
Pre-transplant medical care coverage ends the day before the transplant surgery.
Re-transplantation of the same organ occurring within the initial transplant hospitalization is reimbursed at 25 percent of the global transplant fee for the facility and physician costs.
Re-transplantation of the same organ that occurs after discharge from the initial transplant episode through the first 365 days will be reimbursed 75 percent of the global transplant fee for the facility and physician costs.
The transplant facility must notify the Medicaid transplant coordinator within three days of the organ transplantation surgery. Failure to notify Medicaid per policy may result in the forfeiture of global payment.
Recipients must be eligible for Medicaid at the time transplantation services are rendered for providers to receive global reimbursement.
Global reimbursement for lung transplant is the same for single or bilateral lung transplantation.
Global reimbursement for multivisceral transplants must include the intestine as one of the organs that was transplanted.
All other unrelated care is reimbursed to physicians on a fee-for-service basis according to the Medicaid Provider Fee Schedule.
Organ and Bone Marrow Transplant Services
, continuedSubmitting the Global
Reimbursement Package
The global reimbursement package must contain all of the following:
• Global Reimbursement Form;
• Dates of transplant and date of discharge;
• Totaled amounts of transplant charges and expected reimbursement;
• UB 04 and/or CMS 1500 original claim forms; and
• Transplant operative reports and discharge summary.
Mail the completed global reimbursement package to:
Agency for Health Care Administration Attn: Transplant Coordinator
2727 Mahan Drive, MS 20 Tallahassee, Florida 32308
Requirements for
Out-of-State Transplants
A written statement from each AHCA designated center must be submitted with an explanation of why the services cannot be rendered.
MediPass authorization by the primary care provider (PCP) or any other form of authorization by a PCP is not considered prior authorization for out-of-state organ and bone marrow transplant services.
Note: See in the Florida Medicaid Provider Reimbursement Handbook, CMS-1500, for general information on prior authorization and a copy of the Florida Medicaid Authorization Request Form.
Prior Authorization Process and Documentation for Out-of-State Transplants
Requests for prior authorization must include the following documentation:
• Florida Medicaid Authorization Request Form, completed and signed by a Florida transplant physician for the organ transplant specialty team indicating the type of transplant requested;
• Description of the medical condition necessitating transplant;
• Statement regarding the recipient’s prognosis and life expectancy with and without the transplant;
• Identification of treatment alternatives considered, used, and discarded, and why;
• Documentation of a comprehensive examination, evaluation, and recommendation for transplant by a board-certified or board-eligible specialist in the field directly related to the condition necessitating the transplant; and
• The name, address and contact person of the requested out-of-state facility and physician.
Out-of-State Facility Requirements
The Florida Medicaid program requires that all transplant facilities requesting approval to perform transplants for Florida Medicaid recipients must be
Organ and Bone Marrow Transplant Services
, continuedOut-of-State Facility Requirements, continued
For reimbursement from the Florida Medicaid program for an out-of-state transplant, the facility and professional providers must be enrolled as Florida Medicaid providers. Prior authorizations for out-of-state transplants must be initiated by the transplant physician at the AHCA-designated transplant center in Florida.
Prior authorizations for organ transplants are valid for 365 days.
Where To Submit
Out-of-State Prior Authorization Requests
Submit all prior authorization requests for organ and bone marrow transplants to:
eQHealth Solutions - Florida Division 5802 Benjamin Center Drive, Suite 105 Tampa, FL 33634
Pre-transplant Care A recipient who receives a transplant that is not covered by Medicaid may still be eligible for pre-transplant and post-transplant care. Pre-transplant and post-transplant medical care is reimbursable, if medically necessary and appropriate as determined by the Medicaid medical consultant.
Medicaid can reimburse for those services considered as “wrap around charges” for the pre-transplant and post-transplant episode of any non-reimbursable transplant service, provided the clinical protocol is reviewed by Medicaid and the transplant service is approved through the prior
authorization process by the AHCA Organ Transplant Advisory Council.
Pre-transplant medical care coverage ends the day before the transplant surgery.
Post-transplant Care Post-transplant medical care coverage begins when the recipient is discharged from the inpatient hospital following the transplant procedure.
All Medicaid program limitations apply to the services received.
Note: See the Florida Medicaid Provider Reimbursement Handbook, CMS-1500 for instructions regarding the prior authorization process.
Organ and Bone Marrow Transplant Services
, continuedAnti-Rejection Medications
Anti-rejection medications and other reimbursable medications prescribed specifically for use in preventing organ rejection are reimbursable under the Medicaid Pharmacy Services program, even if the transplant was not reimbursed by Medicaid.
Medications must be FDA approved for use as a primary or adjunct therapy for the prevention of organ rejection.
All Medicaid Pharmacy Services program limitations and restrictions apply.
Non-FDA Approved Medications
Medicaid reimbursement is not available for non-FDA approved medications.
Reimbursement is not available for transplant surgery if experimental (except as outlined in Rule 59B-12.001, F. A. C.), or non-FDA approved medications that are included in the transplant protocol.
Procurement Organ procurement costs, and tissue typing, searches and matches are included in the reimbursement for the transplant procedure. These costs are not separately reimbursed.
Donor Expenses Medicaid does not reimburse for cadaveric or living donor expenses, even if the donor is a Medicaid-eligible recipient.
Medicaid does reimburse for certain reimbursable procedure codes related to autologous bone marrow transplantation.
Medicaid does not reimburse for organ transplant procedures involving living donor organs except for kidney and pediatric liver transplants. Medicaid does not reimburse separately for the living donor expenses related to kidney or pediatric liver transplants.
Hospice Services Medicaid recipients are not permitted to receive transplant services while enrolled in hospice care.
Artificial Hearts and Ventricular Assist Devices
Medicaid does not reimburse for procedures involving artificial hearts.
Medicaid does not reimburse for the cost of the ventricular assist device separately. These costs are included in the procedure. All inpatient and outpatient limitations apply. Only FDA approved ventricular assist devices may be utilized.
The Florida Medicaid program requires that all ventricular assist device procedures be performed in facilities that are approved by the Centers for
Orthopedic Services
Description Orthopedic services provide for prevention or correction of deformities or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
Closed Fracture
Treatment
Initial treatment of a closed fracture requiring no manipulation or anesthesia is reimbursed by billing only the appropriate closed fracture treatment code.
Initial Casting and
Strapping
The supplies, application and removal of the first cast or strapping are included in the reimbursement for the initial service.
Subsequent Casting and Strapping
Subsequent strapping or replacement of a cast during or after the period of follow-up care for management of a fracture may be reimbursed separately using the allowed casting and strapping codes. These codes include casting or strapping supplies, application and removal.
Medicaid does not reimburse for waterproof cast lining material.
Surface
Neurostimulator (TENS)
Application of a transcutaneous neurostimulator (TENS) is reimbursable for the purpose of recipient instruction three times per year, per recipient.
Service Limitations In order to reimburse a procedure code in the surgical code range during the follow-up days for a fracture, a modifier 78 must be added to the procedure code on the claim.
Description These services provide for diagnosis and treatment of diseases related to otology, otorhinolaryngology, and laryngology.
Service
Reimbursement
These services are reimbursed using any of the following:
• An evaluation and management procedure code,
• An appropriate surgery procedure code, or
• An evaluation and management procedure code and a procedure code from the special otorhinolaryngologic services (92500 series).