OHCA Policies and Rules

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317:30-5-56. Utilization review

[Revised 09-01-15]

All inpatient services are subject to post-payment utilization review by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, or its designated agent. These reviews will be based on OHCA's, or its designated agent's, admission criteria on severity of illness and intensity of treatment. In addition to the random sample of all admissions, retrospective review policy includes the following:

(1) Hospital stays less than three days in length will be reviewed for medical necessity and appropriateness of care. (Discharges involving healthy mother and healthy newborns may be excluded from this review requirement.)  If it is determined that the inpatient stay was unnecessary or inappropriate, the prospective payment for the inpatient stay will be denied.

(2) Cases which indicate transfer from one acute care hospital to another will be monitored to help ensure that payment is not made for inappropriate transfers.

(3) Readmissions occurring within 30 days of prior acute care admission for a related condition will be reviewed to determine medical necessity and appropriateness of care or whether the readmission was potentially preventable. If it is determined that either or both admissions were unnecessary or inappropriate or potentially preventable, payment for either or both admissions may be denied.  Such review may be focused to exempt certain cases at the sole discretion of the OHCA.

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.