N.M. Admin. Code § 8.321.2.32

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 23, December 10, 2024

Section 8.321.2.32 - PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION SERVICES

To help an eligible recipient receive the level of services needed, MAD pays for partial hospitalization services furnished by an acute care or freestanding psychiatric hospital. Partial hospitalization programs (PHP) are structured to provide intensive psychiatric care through active treatment that utilizes a combination of clinical services. They are designed to stabilize deteriorating conditions or avert inpatient admissions or can be a step-down strategy for individuals with SMI, SUD or SED who have required inpatient admission. The environment is highly structured, is time-limited and outcome oriented for recipients experiencing acute symptoms or exacerbating clinical conditions that impede their ability to function on a day-to-day basis. Program objectives focus on ensuring important community ties and closely resemble the real-life experiences of the recipients served.

A.Eligible providers and practitioners: In addition to the requirements found in Subsections A and B of 8.321.2.9 NMAC, an eligible provider includes a facility joint commission accredited, and licensed and certified by DOH or the comparable agency in another state.

(1) The program team must include:

(a) registered nurse;

(b) RLD board approved clinical supervisor that is an independently licensed behavioral health practitioner or psychiatric nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse clinician; and

(c) licensed behavioral health practitioners.

(2) The team may also include:

(a) physician assistants;

(b) certified peer support workers;

(c) certified family peer support workers;

(d) licensed practical nurses;

(e) mental health technicians.

B.Coverage criteria: MAD covers only those services which meet the following criteria:

(1) Services that are ordered by a psychiatrist or licensed Ph.D.

(2) Partial hospitalization is a voluntary, intensive, structured and medically staffed, psychiatrically supervised treatment program with an interdisciplinary team intended for stabilization of acute psychiatric or substance use symptoms and adjustment to community settings. The services are essentially of the same nature and intensity, including medical and nursing services, as would be provided in an inpatient setting, except that the recipient is in the program less than 24-hours a day, and it is a time-limited program.

(3) A history and physical (H&P) must be conducted within 24 hours of admission. If the eligible recipient is a direct admission from an acute or psychiatric hospital setting, the program may elect to obtain the H&P in lieu of completing a new H&P. In this instance, the program physician's signature indicates the review and acceptance of the document. The H&P may be conducted by a clinical nurse specialist, a clinical nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, or a physician.

(4) An interdisciplinary biopsychosocial assessment within seven days of admission including alcohol and drug screening. A full substance use assessment is required if alcohol and drug screening indicate the need. If the individual is a direct admission from an acute psychiatric hospital setting, the program may elect to obtain and review this assessment in lieu of completing a new assessment.

(5) Services are furnished under an individualized treatment plan established within seven days of initiation of service by the psychiatrist, together with the program's team of professionals, and in consultation with recipients, parents, legal guardian(s) or others who participate in the recipient's care. The plan must state the type, amount, frequency and projected duration of the services to be furnished and indicate the diagnosis and anticipated goals. The treatment plan must be reviewed and updated by the interdisciplinary team every 15 days.

(6) Documentation must be sufficient to demonstrate that coverage criteria are met, including:

(a) Daily documentation of treatment interventions which are outcome focused and based on the comprehensive assessment or psychiatric diagnostic evaluation, treatment goals, culture, expectations, and needs as identified by the recipient, family, or other caregivers.

(b) Supervision and periodic evaluation of the recipient, either individually or in a group, by the psychiatrist or psychologist to assess the course of treatment. At a minimum, this periodic evaluation of services at intervals indicated by the condition of the recipient must be documented in the recipient's record.

(c) Medical justification for any activity therapies, recipient education programs and psychosocial programs.

(7) Treatment must be reasonably expected to improve the eligible recipient's condition or designed to reduce or control the eligible recipient's psychiatric symptoms to prevent relapse or hospitalization and to improve or maintain the eligible recipient's level of functions. Control of symptoms and maintenance of a functional level to avoid further deterioration or hospitalization are acceptable expectations of improvement.

(8) For recipients in elementary and secondary school, educational services must be coordinated with the recipient's school system.

C.Identified population:

(1) Recipients admitted to a PHP shall be under the care of a psychiatrist who certifies the need for partial hospitalization. The recipient requires comprehensive, structured, multimodal treatment requiring medical supervision and coordination, provided under an individualized plan of care, because of a SMI, SED or moderate to severe SUD which severely interferes with multiple areas of daily life, including social, vocational, or educational functioning. Such dysfunction generally is of an acute nature;

(2) Recipients must have an adequate support system to sustain/maintain themselves outside the PHP;

(3) Recipients 19 and over with a serious mental illness including substance use who can be safely managed in the community with high intensity therapeutic intervention more intensive than outpatient services but are at risk of inpatient care without this treatment; or

(4) Recipients five to 18 with severe emotional disturbances including substance use disorders who can be safely managed in the community with high intensity therapeutic intervention more intensive than outpatient services but are at risk of inpatient care without this treatment.

D.Covered services and service limitations: A program of services must be furnished by a MAD enrolled provider delivering partial hospitalization to receive reimbursement from MAD. Payment for performance of these services is included in the facility's reimbursement rate:

(1) regularly scheduled structured counseling and therapy sessions for an eligible recipient, their family, group or multifamily group based on individualized needs furnished by licensed behavioral health professionals, and, as specified in the treatment plan;

(2) educational and skills building groups furnished by the program team to promote recovery;

(3) age-appropriate skills development in the areas of household management, nutrition, personal care, physical and emotional health, basic life skills, time management, school attendance and money management;

(4) drugs and biologicals that cannot be self-administered and are furnished for therapeutic management;

(5) assistance to the recipient in self-administration of medication in compliance with state policies and procedures;

(6) appropriate staff available on a 24-hour basis to respond to crisis situations, evaluate the severity of the situation, stabilize the recipient make referrals as necessary, and provide follow-up;

(7) consultation with other professionals or allied caregivers regarding a specific recipient;

(8) coordination of all non-medical services, including transportation needed to accomplish a treatment objective;

(9) therapeutic services to meet the physical, social, cultural, recreational, health maintenance, and rehabilitation needs of recipients; and

(10) discharge planning and referrals as necessary to community resources, supports, and providers in order to promote a recipient's return to a higher level of functioning in the least restrictive environment.

E.Non-covered services: Partial hospitalization services are subject to the limitations and coverage restrictions which exist for other MAD covered services. See Subsection G of 8.321.2.9 NMAC for all general non-covered MAD behavioral health services or activities. MAD does not cover the following specific services with partial hospitalization:

(1) meals;

(2) transportation by the partial hospitalization provider;

(3) group activities or other services which are primarily recreational or diversional in nature;

(4) a program that only monitors the management of medication for recipients whose psychiatric condition is otherwise stable, is not the combination, structure, and intensity of services which make up active treatment in a partial hospitalization program;

(5) actively homicidal or suicidal ideation that would not be safely managed in a PHP;

(6) formal educational and vocational services related to traditional academic subjects or vocational training; non-formal education services can be covered if they are part of an active treatment plan for the eligible recipient; see 42 CFR Section 441.13(b); or

(7) services to treat social maladjustments without manifest psychiatric disorders, including occupational maladjustment, marital maladjustment, and sexual dysfunction.

F.Prior authorization: Prior authorization is not required for this service unless the length of stay exceeds 45 days, at which time continued stay must be prior authorized (PA) from MAD or its UR contractor; or applicable MCO. Request for authorization for continued stay must state evidence of the need for the acute, intense, structured combination of services provided by a PHP, and must address the continuing serious nature of the recipient's psychiatric condition requiring active treatment in a PHP and include expectations for imminent improvement. Control of symptoms and maintenance of a functional level to avoid further deterioration or hospitalization are acceptable expectations of improvement. The request for authorization must also specify that a lower level of outpatient services would not be advised, and why, and that the recipient may otherwise require inpatient psychiatric care in the absence of continued stay in the PHP. The request describes:

(1) the recipient's response to the therapeutic interventions provided by the PHP;

(2) the recipient's psychiatric symptoms that continue to place the recipient at risk of hospitalization; and

(3) treatment goals for coordination of services to facilitate discharge from the PHP. See Subsection F of 8.321.2.9 NMAC for MAD general prior authorization requirements.

G.Reimbursement: A provider of partial hospitalization services must submit claims for reimbursement on the UB claim form or its successor. See 8.302.2 NMAC and Subsection H of 8.321.2.9 NMAC for MAD general reimbursement requirements. Specific to partial hospitalization services:

(1) Freestanding psychiatric hospitals are reimbursed at an interim percentage rate established by HCA to equal or closely approximate the final payment rates that apply under the cost settlement TEFRA principles using the Title XVIII (medicare) principles cost methodology, MAD reduces the medicare allowable costs by three percent. For partial hospitalization services that are not cost settled, such as general acute care hospitals, payments are made at the outpatient hospital prospective levels, when applicable, on the procedure codes (see Subsection E of 8.311.2.15 NMAC).

(2) The payment rate is at a per diem representing eight hours, which is billed fractions of .25, .5, or .75 units to represent two, four, or six hours when applicable.

(3) Any professional services are billed and reimbursed to the provider under a separate professional component number, all costs for these services must be removed from the hospital cost report prior to cost settlement or rebasing.

(4) Services performed by a physician or Ph.D. psychologist are billed separately as a professional service. Other services performed by employees or contractors to the facility are included in the per diem rate which may be billed separately are:

(a) performance of necessary evaluations and psychological testing for the development of the treatment plan, while ensuring that evaluations already performed are not repeated;

(b) physical examination and any resultant medical treatments, while ensuring that a physical examination already performed is not repeated;

(c) any medically necessary occupational or physical therapy; and

(d) other professional services not rendered as part of the program.

N.M. Admin. Code § 8.321.2.32

Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXX, Issue 23, December 17, 2019, eff. 1/1/2020, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXII, Issue 15, August 10, 2021, eff. 8/10/2021, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXV, Issue 23, December 10, 2024, eff. 12/10/2024