Current through Reg. 50, No. 13; March 28, 2025
(a) Form
requirements. The commissioner adopts by reference the Prior Authorization
Request Form for Health Care Services, to be accepted and used by an issuer in
compliance with subsection (b) of this section. The form and its instruction
sheet are posted on the TDI website at
www.tdi.texas.gov/forms/form10.html;
or the form and its instruction sheet can be requested by mail from the Texas
Department of Insurance, Rate and Form Review Office, MC: LH-MCQA, P.O. Box
12030, Austin, Texas 78711-2030. The form must be reproduced without changes.
The form provides space for the following information:
(1) the plan issuer's name, telephone number,
and facsimile (fax) number;
(2) the
date the request is submitted;
(3)
the type of review, whether:
(B) urgent. An urgent review
should only be requested for a patient with a life-threatening condition or for
a patient who is currently hospitalized, or to authorize treatment following
stabilization of an emergency condition. A provider or facility may also
request an urgent review to authorize treatment of an acute injury or illness
if the provider determines that the condition is severe or painful enough to
warrant an expedited or urgent review to prevent a serious deterioration of the
patient's condition or health;
(4) the type of request (whether an initial
request or an extension, renewal, or amendment of a previous
authorization);
(5) the patient's
name, date of birth, sex, contact telephone number, and identifying insurance
information;
(6) the requesting
provider's or facility's name, NPI number, specialty, telephone and fax
numbers, contact person's name and telephone number, and the requesting
provider's signature and date, if required (if a signature is required, a
signature stamp may not be used);
(7) the service provider's or facility's
name, NPI number, specialty, and telephone and fax numbers;
(8) the primary care provider's name and
telephone and fax numbers, if the patient's plan requires the patient to have a
primary care provider and that provider is not the requesting
provider;
(9) the planned services
or procedures and the associated CPT, CDT, or HCPCS codes, and the planned
start and end dates of the services or procedures;
(10) the diagnosis description, ICD version
number (if more than one version is allowed by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services), and ICD code;
(11) identification of the treatment location
(inpatient, outpatient, provider office, observation, home, day surgery, or
other specified location);
(12)
information about the duration and frequency of treatment sessions for
physical, occupational, or speech therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, mental
health, or substance abuse;
(13) if
requesting prior authorization for home health care, information about the
requested number of home health visits and their duration and frequency, and an
indication whether a physician's signed order or a nursing assessment is
attached;
(14) if requesting prior
authorization for durable medical equipment, an indication whether a
physician's signed order is attached, a description of requested equipment or
supplies with associated HCPCS codes, duration, and, if the patient is a
Medicaid beneficiary, an indication whether a Title 19 Certification is
attached;
(15) a place for the
requester to include a brief narrative of medical necessity or other clinical
documentation. A requesting provider or facility may also attach a narrative of
medical necessity and supporting clinical documentation (medical records,
progress notes, lab reports, radiology studies, etc.); and
(16) if a requesting provider wants to be
called directly about missing information, a place to list a direct telephone
number for the requesting provider or facility the issuer can call to ask for
additional or missing information if needed to process the request. The phone
call can only be considered a peer-to-peer discussion required by §
19.1710 of this title (relating to
Requirements Prior to Issuing an Adverse Determination) if it is a discussion
between peers that includes, at a minimum, the clinical basis for the URA's
decision and a description of documentation or evidence, if any, that can be
submitted by the provider of record that, on appeal, might lead to a different
utilization review decision.
(b) Acceptance and use of the form.
(1) If a provider or facility submits the
form to request prior authorization of a health care service for which the
issuer's plan requires prior authorization, the issuer must accept and use the
form for that purpose. An issuer may also have on its website another
electronic process a provider or facility may use to request prior
authorization of a health care service.
(2) This form may not be used by a provider
or facility:
(A) to request an
appeal;
(B) to confirm
eligibility;
(D) to ask whether a
service requires prior authorization;
(E) to request prior authorization of a
prescription drug; or
(F) to
request a referral to an out of network physician facility or other health care
provider.
(c)
Effective date. An issuer must accept a request for prior authorization of
health care services made by a provider or facility using the form on or after
September 1, 2015.
(d) Availability
of the form.
(1) A health benefit plan issuer
must make the form available on paper and electronically on its
website.
(2) A health benefit plan
issuer's agent that manages or administers health care services benefits must
make the form available on paper and electronically on its website.