OHCA Policies and Rules

317:35-17-14. Case management services

[Revised 09-01-19]

(a) Case management services involve ongoing assessment, service planning and implementation, service monitoring and evaluation, member advocacy, and discharge planning.

(1) Within one-business (1-business) day of receipt of an ADvantage referral from the ADvantage Administration (AA), the case management supervisor assigns a case manager to the member. The case manager makes a home visit to review the ADvantage program; its purpose, philosophy, and the roles and responsibilities of the member, service provider, case manager, and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS). The case manager will review and/or update the Uniform Comprehensive Assessment Tool (UCAT) Part III and discuss service needs and ADvantage service providers. The case manager notifies the member's primary physician, identified in the UCAT Part I, in writing that the member was determined eligible to receive ADvantage services. The notification is a preprint form that contains the member's signed permission to release this health information and requests physician's office verification of primary and secondary diagnoses and diagnoses code obtained from the UCAT Part III.

(2) Within fourteen-calendar (14-calendar) days of the receipt of an ADvantage referral, the case manager completes and submits a person-centered service plan for the member, signed by the member and the case manager, to the case manager supervisor for approval and submission to the AA. The case manager completes and submits the annual reassessment person-centered service plan documents no sooner than sixty B calendar (60-calendar) days before the existing service plan end-date but sufficiently in advance of the end-date to be received by the AA at least thirty (30) days before the end-date of the existing person-centered service plan. The case manager submits revisions for denied services to be resubmitted for approval within five-business (5-business) days to the AA. Within fourteen-calendar (14-calendar) days of receipt of a Service Plan Review (SPR) for short-term authorizations from the AA, the case manager submits corrected person-centered service plan documentation. Within five-business (5-business) days of assessed need, the case manager completes and submits a service plan addendum to the AA to amend current services on the person-centered service plan. The person-centered service plan is based on the member's service needs identified by the UCAT Part III, and includes only those ADvantage services required to sustain and/or promote the health and safety of the member. The case manager uses an interdisciplinary team (IDT) planning approach for person-centered service plan development. Except for extraordinary circumstances, the IDT meetings are held in the member's home. When home care is the primary service, the IDT includes, at a minimum, the member, a nurse from the ADvantage home care or assisted living provider chosen by the member, and the case manager. Otherwise, the member and case manager constitute a minimum IDT.

(3) The case manager identifies long-term goals, strengths and challenges for meeting goals, and service goals including plan objectives, actions steps and expected outcomes. The ADvantage case manager documents on the person-centered service plan the presence of two (2) or more ADvantage members residing in the same household and/or when the member and personal care provider reside together. The case manager documents on the Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system in the member record any instance in which a member's health or safety would be at risk when even one (1) personal care visit is missed. The case manager identifies services, service provider, funding source units and frequency of service and service cost, cost by funding source and total cost for ADvantage services. The member signs and indicates review/agreement with the person-centered service plan by indicating acceptance or non-acceptance of the plans. The member, the member's legal guardian or legally authorized representative signs the person-centered service plan in the presence of the case manager. The signatures of two (2) witnesses are required when the member signs with a mark. When the member refuses to cooperate in development of the person-centered service plan or when the member refuses to sign the person-centered service plan, the case management agency refers the case to the AA for resolution. Based on the UCAT Part III and/or case progress notes that document chronic uncooperative or disruptive behaviors, the DHS nurse or AA may identify members that require AA interventionthrough referral to the AA's Escalated Issues unit.

(A) For members that are uncooperative or disruptive, the case manager supports the member to develop an individualized person-centered service plan to overcome challenges to receiving services. This plan focuses on behaviors, both favorable and those that jeopardize the member's well-being and includes a design approach of incremental plans and addenda that allows the member to achieve stepwise successes in behavior modification.

(B) The AA may implement a person-centered service plan without the member's signature when the presence of a document that requires their signature may itself trigger a conflict. In these circumstances, mental health/behavioral issues may prevent the member from controlling his or her behavior to act in his or her own interest. When the member, by virtue of level of care and the IDT assessment, needs ADvantage services to ensure his or her health and safety, the AA may authorize the person-centered service plan when the case manager demonstrates effort to work with and obtain the member's agreement. Should negotiations not result in agreement with the person-centered service plan, the member may withdraw his or her request for services or request a fair hearing.

(4) Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Services and Supports (CD-PASS) planning and supports coordination.

(A) CD-PASS offers ADvantage members personal choice and control over the delivery of their in-home support service, including who provides the services and how services are provided. Members or their legal representatives have singular "employer authority" in decision-making and are responsible to recruit, hire, train, supervise and when necessary, terminate the individuals who furnish their services. They also have "budget authority" to determine how expenditures of their expense accounts are managed.

(B) Members who elect the CD-PASS service option receive support from Consumer-Directed Agent/Case Manager (CDA/CM) in directing their services. The CDA/CM liaison between the member and the program assists members, identifying potential requirements and supports as they direct their services and supports. ADvantage case management providers deliver required support and assign the CD-PASS members a case manager trained on the ADvantage CD-PASS service option, independent living philosophy, person centered service planning, the role of the member as employer of record, the individual budgeting process and service plan development guidelines. A case manager, who has completed specialized CD-PASS training, is referred to as a CDA/CM with respect to the service planning and support role when working with CD-PASS members. The CDA/CM educates the member about his or her rights and responsibilities as well as community resources, service choices and options available to the member to meet CD-PASS service goals and objectives.

(C) The ADvantage case management provider is responsible for ensuring that case managers serving members who elect to receive or are receiving the CD-PASS service option have successfully completed CD-PASS certification training in its entirety and have a valid CDA/CM certification issued by the AA.

(D) Consumer-directed, SoonerCare (Medicaid)-funded programs are regulated by federal laws and regulations setting forth various legal requirements with which states must comply. The ADvantage case management provider is responsible for ensuring that CDA/CMs in their employment provide services to CD-PASS members consistent with certification guidelines so as to be in keeping with federal, state, and Waiver requirements. Non-adherence may result in remediation for the case management provider, the case manager, or both, up to and including decertification.

(E) Members may designate a family member or friend as an authorized representative to assist in the service planning process and in executing member employer responsibilities. When the member chooses to designate an authorized representative, the designation and agreement, identifying the willing adult to assume this role and responsibility, is documented with dated signatures of the member, the designee, and the member's case manager, or AA staff.

(i) A person having guardianship or power of attorney or other court-sanctioned authorization to make decisions on behalf of the member has legal standing to be the member's designated authorized representative.

(ii) An individual hired to provide CD-PASS services to a member may not be designated the authorized representative for the member.

(iii) The case manager reviews the designation of authorized representative, power of attorney, and legal guardian status on an annual basis and includes this in the reassessment packet to AA.

(F) The CDA/CM provides support to the member in the person-centered CD-PASS planning process. Principles of person-centered planning are listed in (i) through (v) of the subparagraph.

(i) The person is the center of all planning activities.

(ii) The member and his or her representative, or support team are given the requisite information to assume a controlling role in the development, implementation, and management of the member's services.

(iii) The individual and those who know and care about him or her are the fundamental sources of information and decision-making.

(iv) The individual directs and manages a planning process that identifies his or her strengths, capacities, preferences, desires, goals, and support needs.

(v) Person-centered planning results in personally-defined outcomes.

(G) The CDA/CM encourages and supports the member, or as applicable his or her designated authorized representative, to lead, to the extent feasible, the CD-PASS service planning process for personal services assistance. The CDA/CM helps the member define support needs, service goals, and service preferences including access to and use of generic community resources. Consistent with member-direction and preferences, the CDA/CM provides information and helps the member locate and access community resources. Operating within the constraints of the Individual Budget Allocation (IBA) units, the CDA/CM assists the member translate the assessment of member needs and preferences into an individually tailored, person-centered service plan.

(H) To the extent the member prefers, the CDA/CM develops assistance to meet member needs using a combination of traditional personal care and CD-PASS PSA services. However, the CD-PASS IBA and the PSA unit authorization is reduced proportional to agency personal care service utilization.

(I) The member determines with the PSA to be hired, a start date for PSA services. The member coordinates with the CDA/CM to finalize the person-centered service plan. The start date must be after:

(i) authorization of services;

(ii) completion and approval of the background checks; and

(iii) completion of the member employee packets.

(J) Based on outcomes of the planning process, the CDA/CM prepares an ADvantage person-centered service plan or plan amendment to authorize CD-PASS personal service assistance units consistent with this individual plan and notifies existing duplicative personal care service providers of the end-date for those services.

(K) When the plan requires an Advanced Personal Service Assistant (APSA) to provide assistance with health maintenance activities, the CDA/CM works with the member and, as appropriate, arranges for training by a skilled nurse for the member or member's family and the APSA to ensure that the APSA performs the specific health maintenance tasks safely and competently, when the:

(i) member's APSA was providing Advanced Supportive Restorative Assistance to the member for the same tasks in the period immediately prior to being hired as the APSA, additional documentation of competence is not required; and

(ii) member and APSA attest that the APSA was performing the specific health maintenance tasks to the member's satisfaction on an informal basis as a friend or family member for a minimum of two (2) months in the period immediately prior to being hired as the PSA, and no evidence contra-indicates the attestation of safe and competent performance by the APSA, additional documentation is not required.

(L) The CDA/CM monitors the member's well-being and the quality of supports and services and assists the member in revising the PSA services plan as needed. When the member's need for services changes due to a change in health/disability status and/or a change in the level of support available from other sources to meet needs, the CDA/CM, based upon an updated assessment, amends the person-centered service plan to modify CD-PASS service units appropriate to meet the additional need and submits the plan amendment to the AA for authorization and update of the member's IBA.

(M) In the event of a disagreement between the member and CD-PASS provider the following process is followed:

(i) either party may contact via a toll free number the Member/Provider Relations Resource Center to obtain assistance with issue resolution;

(ii) when the issue cannot be resolved with assistance from the Member/Provider Relations Resource Center or from CD-PASS Program Management, the CD-PASS Program Management submits the dispute to the ADvantage Escalated Issues Unit for resolution. The Escalated Issues Unit works with the member and provider to reach a mutually-agreed upon resolution;

(iii) when the dispute cannot be resolved by the ADvantage Escalated Issues Unit it is heard by the Ethics of Care Committee. The Ethics of Care Committee makes a final determination with regard to settlement of the dispute; or

(iv) at any step of this dispute resolution process the member may request a fair hearing to appeal the dispute resolution decision.

(N) The CDA/CM and the member prepare an emergency backup response capability for CD-PASS PSA/APSA services in the event a PSA/APSA services provider essential to the individual's health and welfare fails to deliver services. As part of the backup planning process, the CDA/CM and member define what failure of service or neglect of service tasks constitutes a risk to health and welfare to trigger implementation of the emergency backup (i) or (ii) may be used. Identification of:

(i) a qualified substitute provider of PSA/APSA services and preparation for their quick response to provide backup emergency services, including execution of all qualifying background checks, training, and employment processes; and/or

(ii) one (1) or more qualified substitute ADvantage agency service providers, adult day health, personal care, or nursing facility (NF) respite provider, and preparation for quick response to provide backup emergency services.

(O) To obtain authorizations for providers other than PSA and APSA identified as emergency backups, requests the AA authorize and facilitate member access to adult day health, agency personal care, or NF respite services.

(5) The case manager submits the person-centered service plan to the case management supervisor for review. The case management supervisor conducts the review/approval of the plans within two-business (2-business) days of receipt from the case manager or returns the plans to the case manager with notations of errors, problems, and concerns to be addressed. The case manager re-submits the corrected person-centered service plan to the case management supervisor within two-business (2-business) days. The case management supervisor returns the approved person-centered service plan to the case manager. Within one-business (1-business) day of receiving supervisory approval, the case manager submits, the person-centered service plan to the AA. Only priority service needs and supporting documentation may be submitted to the AA as a "Priority" case with justification attached. "Priority" service needs are defined as services needing immediate authorization to protect the health and welfare of the member and/or avoid premature admission to the NF. Corrections to service conditions set by the AA are not considered a priority unless the health and welfare of the member would otherwise be immediately jeopardized and/or the member would otherwise require premature admission to a NF.

(6) Within one-business (1-business) day of notification of care plan and person-centered service plan authorization, the case manager communicates with the service plan providers and member to facilitate service plan implementation. Within five-business (5-business) days of notification of an initial person-centered service plan or a new reassessment service plan authorization, the case manager visits the member, gives the member a copy of the person-centered service plan and evaluates the service plan implementation progress. The case manager evaluates service plan implementation on the following minimum schedule:

(A) within thirty-calendar (30-calendar) days of the authorized effective date of the person-centered service plan or service plan addendum amendment; and

(B) monthly after the initial thirty-calendar (30-calendar) follow-up evaluation date.

(b) Authorization of service plans and amendments to service plans. The AA authorizes the individual person-centered service plan and all service plan amendments for each ADvantage member. When the AA verifies member ADvantage eligibility, service plan cost effectiveness for service providers that are ADvantage authorized and SoonerCare contracted, and that the delivery of ADvantage services are consistent with the member's level of care need, the service plan is authorized.

(1) Except as provided by the process per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 317:30-5-761(6), family members may not receive payment for providing ADvantage waiver services. A family member is defined as an individual who is legally responsible for the member, such as the spouse or parent of a minor child.

(2) DHS AS may, per OAC 317:35-15-13, authorize personal care service provision by an Individual PCA, an individual contracted directly with OHCA. Legally responsible family members are not eligible to serve as Individual PCAs.

(3) When a complete service plan authorization or amendment request is received and the service plan is within cost-effectiveness guidelines, the AA authorizes or denies authorization within five-business (5-business) days of receipt of the request. When the service plan is not within cost-effectiveness guidelines, the plan is referred for administrative review to develop an alternative cost-effective plan or assist the member to access services in an alternate setting or program. When the request packet is incomplete, the AA notifies the case manager immediately and puts a hold on authorization until the requirements are received from case management.

(4) The AA authorizes the service plan by entering the authorization date. Notice of authorization of the service plan is available through the appropriate designated software or web-based solution. AA authorization determinations are provided to case management within one-business (1-business) day of the authorization date. A person-centered service plan may be authorized and implemented with specific services temporarily denied. The AA communicates to case management the conditions for approval of temporarily denied services. The case manager submits revisions for denied services to AA for approval within five-business (5-business) days.

(5) For audit purposes including Program Integrity reviews, the authorized service plan is documentation of service authorization for ADvantage waiver and State Plan Personal Care services. Federal or State quality review and audit officials may obtain a copy of specific person-centered service plans with original signatures by submitting a request to the member's case manager.

(c) Change in service plan. The process for initiating a change in the person-centered service plan is described in this subsection.

(1) The service provider initiates the process for an increase or decrease in service to the member's person-centered service plan. The requested changes and justification are documented by the service provider and, when initiated by a direct care provider, are submitted to the member's case manager. When in agreement, the case manager submits the service changes within five-business (5-business) days of the assessed need. The AA authorizes or denies the person-centered service plan changes, per OAC 317:35-17-14.

(2) The member initiates the process for replacing personal care services with CD-PASS in geographic areas where CD-PASS services are available. The member may contact the AA or call the toll-free number to process requests for CD-PASS services.

(3) A significant change in the member's physical condition or caregiver support, one that requires additional goals, deletion of goals or goal changes, or requires a four-hour (4-hour) or more adjustment in services per week, requires an updated UCAT Part III reassessment by the case manager. The case manager develops an amended or new person-centered service plan, as appropriate, and submits the new amended person-centered service plan for authorization.

(4) One (1) or more of the following changes or service requests require an Interdisciplinary Team review and service plan goals amendment:

(A) the presence of two (2) or more ADvantage members residing in the same household;

(B) the member and personal care provider residing together;

(D) a request for an individual PCA service provider.

(5) Based on the reassessment and consultation with the AA as needed, the member may, as appropriate, be authorized for a new person-centered service plan or be eligible for a different service program. When the member is significantly improved from the previous assessment and does not require ADvantage services, the case manager obtains the member's dated signature indicating voluntary withdrawal for ADvantage program services. When unable to obtain the member's consent for voluntary closure, the case manager requests AA assistance. The AA requests that the DHS area nurse initiate a reconsideration of level of care.

(6) Providers of Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) for the member, or those who have an interest in or are employed by a provider of HCBS for the member, must not provide case management or develop the person-centered service plan, except when the State demonstrates the only willing and qualified entity to provide case management and develop person-centered service plans in a geographic area also provides HCBS.

Disclaimer. The OHCA rules found on this Web site are unofficial. The official rules are published by the Oklahoma Secretary of State Office of Administrative Rules as Title 317 of the Oklahoma Administrative Code. To order an official copy of these rules, contact the Office of Administrative Rules at (405) 521-4911.