12/08/2023
Reminder
This notice is a reminder of the updates to most of the Behavioral Health Medicaid benefits to clarify delivery of those services through synchronous audio- visual or telephone (audio-only) technology.
What’s new
Effective December 1, 2023, the Texas Medicaid &Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) will update the Texas Medicaid provider Procedures Manual (TMPPM), Behavioral Health and Case Management Service Handbook (Vol. 2, Provider Handbooks) to understand the language for the delivery of synchronous audio-visual or telephone (audio-only) technology for:
- Mental health targeted case management (MHTCM)
- Mental health rehabilitative (MHR)
- Outpatient mental health
- Peer specialist
- Substance use disorder (SUD)
Also, TMHP added language for the in-person or synchronous technology
- Audio-visual 6 -month and every rolling 12-month requirements for providing services through telephone (audio-only) technology.
- Requirements delivered by another authorized professional or paraprofessional of the same billing provider as the one that renders services by synchronous telephone (audio-only) technology.
Notice, the references to provider, treating provider or same provider replaced with billing provider or same billing provider, as applicable. Same billing provider defined as providers within the same entity or organization as identified by the entity’s or organizations’ National Provider Identifier (NPI) has multiple locations.
Resources
Information about outpatient mental health, MHTCM, MHR, peer specialist and SUD services published in Behavioral Health and Case Management Services Handbook (Vol. 2, Provider Handbooks) in the TMPPM.
TMHP bulletin: TMPPM Update to Clarify Delivery of Certain Behavioral Health Services Through Synchronous Audiovisual or Synchronous Telephone (Audio-Only) Technology published on October 13, 2023.
TMHP bulletin: HB4: Behavioral Health Services Delivered by Telemedicine or Telehealth Effective September 1, 2022 published on July 15, 2022.
Providers, for questions or additional information, please:
- Contact your Medicaid Provider Network Representative at 1-855-212-1615.
- Submit via email Texas Medicaid Network Deprtment.