Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services Office of Medicaid www.mass.gov/masshealth MassHealth Nursing Facility Bulletin 136 April 2013 TO: Nursing Facilities Participating in MassHealth FROM: Julian J. Harris, M.D., Medicaid Director RE: Centralization of Receipt of Senior Medical Benefit Request Forms for Individuals Residing in and Entering a Long-Term-Care Facility Background The purpose of this memo is to inform providers about the new process for submitting Senior Medical Benefit Request (SMBR) applications to MassHealth for processing. Effective February 19, 2013, all SMBR forms for individuals residing in or entering a long-term-care facility must be mailed to a centralized location at the Central Processing Unit (CPU) in Charlestown, MA. This centralization will allow MassHealth to continue to provide consistent processing in a timely manner. Central Processing Unit Address The mailing address of the Central Processing Unit in Charlestown is MassHealth Enrollment Center Central Processing Unit P.O. Box 290794 Charlestown, MA 02129-0214 If a member of your staff or a family member would like to hand-deliver the SMBR to the CPU, the office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:45 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. The street address is MassHealth Enrollment Center Central Processing Unit Schrafft's Center 529 Main Street, Suite 1M Charlestown, MA 02129 (continued on next page) MassHealth Nursing Facility Bulletin 136 April 2013 Page 2 Central Processing Unit Address (cont.) If a member of your staff or a family member would like to fax in the SMBR, the fax number is 617-241- 6005. If the faxed application is received during regular business hours, it will be date-stamped with that day's date. If the faxed application is received outside of business hours, it will be date-stamped as of the next business day. SMBR Assignment Protocols Incoming SMBRs will be assigned to an intake worker in one of the four MassHealth Enrollment Centers (MECs) (Chelsea, Springfield, Taunton, or Tewksbury). MassHealth no longer maintains geographic boundaries for SMBR processing. An SMBR will be assigned to a specific intake worker who will be responsible for that SMBR until a disposition on the case is determined. The worker will send out a verification checklist that includes the worker's name, telephone number, and the MEC address to use to return the verifications. When returning the verifications or assisting a family member in returning the verifications, please make sure that the intake worker's name appears on the envelope. Do not send verifications to the CPU address. Any SMBR submitted directly to a MEC will be sent to the CPU to be assigned according to the protocols. The SMBR will not remain in the receiving MEC for processing. If received in a MEC, an SMBR will be date-stamped by the MEC to ensure that the application date reflects the actual date the application was received by MassHealth before forwarding to the CPU. Other Applications and Verifications The centralization of SMBRs for individuals residing in or entering a long-term-care facility is the last phase of MassHealth's initiative to centralize all applications. SMBRs for community-based residents have been mailed to the CPU for some time. MassHealth eligibility review forms and verifications for ongoing MassHealth members should continue to be sent to MassHealth Enrollment Center P.O. Box 1231 Taunton, MA 02780 Medical Benefit Request (MBR) forms should continue to be sent to the CPU at the mailing address on the first page of this bulletin. (continued on next page) MassHealth Nursing Facility Bulletin 136 April 2013 Page 3 Questions If you have any 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.