If you accept Texas Medicaid then please note the following Texas medical billing changes that have begun as of August 2011. The Texas Health & Human Services Commission will be sending out new plastic Medicaid Cards to all eligible Medicaid Recipients. The new plastic card will replace the monthly paper cards (Form 3087) to which you are accustomed. This is being done as part of the initiative to increase providers utilization of Texas Medicaid Web Resources for coverage verification and to cut down on the amount of paper that is sent to Texas Medicaid participants.
Many practices utilize the paper Medicaid cards to assist them with verification of benefits and to determine eligibility. Please note, that in conjucntion with the move towards plastic cards, Texas Medicaid is now providing real-time; live eligibility and PCP information through their on-line tool at www.YourTexasBenefitsCard.com.
ClaimCare Medical Billing highly recommends that each Medicaid patients’ eligibility and PCP be verified with each provider visit. If you are currently scanning traditional insurance cards into your system or EHR, we encourage you to now scan the Medicaid Plastic Cards for the Medicaid and CHIP patients that you serve.
Here is the relevant excerpt from the August 2011 Texas Medicaid Bulletin: "This week, HHSC is beginning to mail new plastic Your Texas Benefit Medicaid cards to 3.4 million Texans covered by Medicaid. The new cards will replace the paper Medicaid ID (Form 3087) Medicaid clients receive in the mail each month. Texans with Medicaid coverage should receive their new plastic cards by the end of August. They will also get one last paper Medicaid ID in a separate August mailing. The new plastic card will be the client's everyday Medicaid card and will only be replaced if the client changes health plans or the card is damaged or lost. Medicaid providers can now go to www.YourTexasBenefitscard.com and begin using the site for up-to-date information on a patient's eligibility and other services."
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Copyright 2011 by ClaimCare Inc. The author is Susan Price, Austin Office Manager of ClaimCare Medical Billing Service, one of the largest medical billing companies in the United States.