Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Office of Medicaid
600 Washington Street
Boston, MA  02111
www.mass.gov/masshealth
	
                                        MassHealth
		Acute Outpatient Hospital Bulletin 16
	February 2006


	TO:	Acute Outpatient Hospitals Participating in MassHealth

	FROM:	Beth Waldman, Medicaid Director

	RE:	Emergency Department Charges for Certain Behavioral Health Services


Error Code 539	MassHealth will no longer deny claims for emergency department
visits (billed with revenues code 450, 456, or 459) with error code 539 (Managed care service should be paid by Masshealth Behavioral Health Partnership) when the primary ICD-9-CM diagnosis on the claim form is 
in the “Mental Disorders” range (290-316).

This change applies to MassHealth members enrolled in the Primary Care Clinician Plan who receive Behavioral Health services through the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership, and applies retroactively to claims with dates of service on and after October 1, 2004.  Providers may resubmit claims that had previously been denied with this error code.

This bulletin relates to the message text on MassHealth pay cycle 1882 remittance advice.


Information on Web	This bulletin, as well as all other MassHealth bulletins and transmittal letters, are available on the MassHealth Web site at www.mass.gov/masshealthpubs.  


Questions	If you have questions about the information in this bulletin, please contact MassHealth Customer Service at 1-800-841-2900, e-mail your inquiry to providersupport@mahealth.net, or fax your inquiry to 617-988-8974.