Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) There are
limited variations to the eligibility process for a newborn infant of a woman
who is a Medicaid beneficiary. The policy and procedures follow:
1. Although both the mother and newborn
infant may be Medicaid beneficiaries on the date of delivery, the newborn
infant is not immediately assigned a Person Number (see
10:49-2.12) . In order to expedite
payment to any provider before this number is assigned, the provider is
permitted to bill for services provided to the newborn using the mother's
Medicaid Eligibility Identification Number and Person Number on the claim
form.
2. The period for which
newborn services may be billed under the mother's Medicaid Eligibility
Identification Number and Person Number shall extend from the date of birth
until the last day of the month in which a 60 day time frame ends, or until the
newborn is assigned his or her own Person Number, whichever happens first.
Example: If a newborn's date of birth is January 5th, the 60
day period ends March 6th. Claims may be submitted for dates of service through
March 31st using the mother's Medicaid Eligibility Identification Number and
Person Number, provided the newborn has not been assigned his or her own Person
Number in the meantime. Claims for services provided to the newborn after March
31st would be processed only if the required information about the newborn is
used (Person Number, name, age, sex, etc.).
3. The newborn's Person Number shall be used
as soon as it is available to the provider. The practitioner or any other type
of provider shall request the newborn's Person Number from the mother at each
encounter.
4. Billing instructions
for services provided a newborn infant under his or her mother's Medicaid
Eligibility Identification Number and Person Number are provided in the Fiscal
Agent Billing Supplement following the second chapter of each Provider Services
Manual, as applicable.
(b) The following procedures shall apply when
application is made for Medicaid eligibility for an inpatient upon admission to
a hospital:
1. A hospital shall submit a
"Public Assistance Inquiry" (Form PA-1C, see Appendix, N.J.A.C. 10:49) when an
individual is admitted to the facility and financial or medical indigency is a
factor in the coverage of care. Under this arrangement, if the patient is
determined to be eligible for Medicaid, the effective date of eligibility is
the date of the hospital inquiry.
i. A PA-1C
Form should be directed to either the Social Security Administration District
Office in the area where the hospital is located or the CWA as follows:
(1) The Social Security Administration is
responsible for establishing Medicaid eligibility for the aged (persons 65
years and over), for the blind, and for the disabled who apply for Supplemental
Security Income (SSI).
(2) The CWA
is responsible for establishing Medicaid eligibility for the individual who
applies for AFDC-Related Medicaid (AFDC), or for the individual who is aged,
blind, or disabled and applies for "Medicaid Only," or for any individual who
applies for New Jersey Care . . . Special Medicaid Programs.
2. Before preparing a
PA-1C Form, the hospital shall screen the patient to determine the following:
i. Whether the patient is already eligible
for Medicaid or whether the patient's income and/or resources meet the
applicable public assistance standard; and
ii. Whether the patient falls into a category
of eligibility, for example, aged, disabled, blind, pregnant under 21 years of
age, or a member of a family with children under 18 years of age.
3. In the event that the date of
the Medicaid eligibility, which was established by the Social Security
Administration or the CWA is later than the date of admission, the beneficiary
may apply directly to the New Jersey Medicaid program for retroactive Medicaid
payment of unpaid bills for allowable medical services within the three-month
period prior to the month of application (see
10:49-2.9) .