Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Office of Medicaid
600 Washington Street
Boston, MA  02111
www.mass.gov/masshealth
	MassHealth
	Psychiatric Outpatient 
		Hospital Bulletin 2
	November 2006 



	TO:	Psychiatric Outpatient Hospitals Participating in MassHealth

	FROM:	Beth Waldman, Medicaid Director

	RE:	Clarification of Provider Manuals


Background	There are various outpatient hospital manuals for hospital providers participating in MassHealth.  This bulletin is intended to clarify which provider manual applies to psychiatric outpatient hospitals.


Psychiatric Outpatient 	Recently, MassHealth has realized that some psychiatric outpatient 
Hospital Manual 	hospitals may have been referring to both the Psychiatric Outpatient 
	Hospital Manual and the Outpatient Hospital Manual.  

Important:  Psychiatric outpatient hospitals should refer to the Psychiatric Outpatient Hospital Manual only, and should discard any copies of the MassHealth Outpatient Hospital Manual.   

The Psychiatric Outpatient Hospital Manual, along with all other MassHealth provider manuals, is available on the Web at www.mass.gov/masshealthpubs.  Click on Provider Library, then on MassHealth Provider Manuals.


MassHealth Outpatient 	The following table lists the three different outpatient hospital provider 
Hospital Manuals	manuals along with an explanation of who should use each.  Please note that for each outpatient hospital manual, there is a corresponding inpatient hospital version.   

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Provider Manual
Audience
Psychiatric Outpatient Hospital Manual
All psychiatric outpatient hospitals participating in MassHealth.  

Note:  Psychiatric outpatient hospitals should see 130 CMR 450.124 of the administrative and billing regulations for important information about service authorization and payment for behavioral health services for MassHealth members.   
Acute Outpatient Hospital Manual
All acute outpatient hospital providers participating in MassHealth, regardless of whether they have signed an RFA with MassHealth.  

Note:  Acute outpatient hospitals that have signed an RFA with MassHealth must refer to the RFA for additional requirements.  
Chronic Disease and Rehabilitation Outpatient Hospital Manual (formerly Outpatient Hospital Manual)
All chronic disease and rehabilitation outpatient hospital providers participating in MassHealth.  

Note:  Chronic disease and rehabilitation outpatient hospitals that have signed an RFA with MassHealth must refer to the RFA for additional requirements.  

Bulletins	MassHealth issues provider bulletins to communicate information that is not contained in the provider manual.  Provider bulletins typically provide clarifications or describe procedures.  Provider bulletins are available on the Web at www.mass.gov/masshealthpubs.  Click on Provider Library, then on Provider Bulletins.  MassHealth will no longer issue “Outpatient Hospital Bulletins.”  Instead, MassHealth will issue “Psychiatric Outpatient Hospital Bulletins,” “Acute Outpatient Hospital Bulletins,” and “Chronic Disease and Rehabilitation Outpatient Hospital Bulletins” as needed.


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 6179888974.  
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			MassHealth
			Psychiatric Outpatient 
				Hospital Bulletin 2
			November 2006 
			Page 2