Notes
Slide Show
Outline
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OWCP
Interagency Meeting
  • June 30, 2004
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Agenda
  • Welcome and Introductions


    • SHARE Update
      • Shelby Hallmark
      • Davis Layne
    • ACS Update
      • Pete Krah
      • Bea Way
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Safety Health and Return to Employment
(SHARE)
  • Goals have been announced for all Agencies. (Handout included in Folders)
  • Halfway through the first year of a three year initiative.
  • Training continues to assist Agencies meet their goals.
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Here is how we are doing
so far…
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CA-1/CA-2 Timeliness
(by major agency)
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Lost Production Days
(per 100 employees)
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Lost Production Days
(by major agency)
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Exceptional Achievements in Timeliness
  • Greatest Improvement


    • Dept. of Housing and Urban Development


      • 56.5% improvement in FY04
      • Timeliness up to 53.5%
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Exceptional Achievements in Timeliness
  • Greatest Sustained Performance


    • Dept. of Veterans Affairs


      • 73.2% timeliness in FY04
      • Improvement of 7.9%

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Exceptional Achievements in
Lost Production Days
  • Greatest Improvement


    • Department of Defense Agencies


      • 20.5% reduction in FY04
      • LPD down to 41.0
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Exceptional Achievements in
Lost Production Days
  • Greatest Sustained Performance


    • Dept. of Air Force


      • 33.1 LPD in FY04
      • Reduction of 20%

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What is OWCP doing to help?
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  Web-based Resources
 www.dol-esa.gov/share
    • What’s New?


      • District Websites
        • Contact points
        • Calendar of events
        • Quarterly regional reports

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Web-based Resources
 www.dol-esa.gov/share
      • Training
        • Front Line Supervisor Training
        • Injury Compensation (CA-810)
        • Return to Work
        • Nurse intervention


      • E-Newsletter
        • Updates
        • Hot Topics

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Web-based Resources
 www.dol-esa.gov/share
  • Calendar of Events
    • District Level
    • National Office
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  What’s Coming?

  • AQS Report Suite


    • Access to Chargeback specific reports for COP cases, cases within their first year of disability and long term cases.
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 What’s Coming?
  • Claimant Query System


    • Injured worker access to claim information via OPM’s Employee Express Sytem.
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FECA Overview
  • What is the status of FECA?
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Long-term Disability Roll
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ACS… Where are we?
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Status Overview
  • ~200,000 providers enrolled.


  • ~ 2,600 calls/day for bill inquiries.
    • average hold time under 2 minutes.

  • ~ 2,100 calls/day for medical authorizations.
    • average hold time of 49 seconds.
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Status Overview
  • ~ 3.74 days for prior authorizations.


  • 98% of bills processed within 28 days.


  • Adjustments processed in an average 5.8 days.
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OWCP Efforts
  • OWCP helping train ACS Client Service Representatives.


  • Problem solving system has been developed:
    • ACS Liaisons in each District Office
    • District Office Trouble Shooters
    • National Office Trouble Shooters
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Continuing Efforts
  • OWCP monitors ACS performance on a daily basis.


  • Service Level Agreements (SLAs) measure key contract performance levels.


  • Ongoing enhancements to ACS web portal
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Update on Central Bill Pay
and
Medical Authorization
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Topics
  • Accessing ACS Web Portal via AQS
  • Prior Authorization Process
  • Walk-Thru ACS Web Portal
  • How Employing Agencies Can Help Providers
  • How Employing Agencies Can Help Injured Workers
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ACS Web Portal – Employing Agency Access
  • Easiest way to access is through AQS
  • Provides information on
    • Eligibility
    • Authorizations
    • Payments
  • Can access via https://owcp.dol.acs-inc.com
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Accessing the ACS Web Portal via AQS
  • Bring up desired case in AQS
  • Click on Bill Inquiry




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Accessing the ACS Web Portal via AQS
  • There are 3 types of inquiry options


  • Eligibility Inquiry
  • Bill Status Inquiry
  • Medical Authorization Status Inquiry


  • Click on desired inquiry
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Prior Medical Authorization Process
  • Using the ACS Web Portal to Check Eligibility
  • Services Requiring Authorization
  • Using The ACS Web Portal To Check Authorization Status
  • Timeframes For Completion
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Services Requiring Authorization
  • Eligibility status available via AQS access to the ACS web portal http://owcp.dol.acs-inc.com
    • Level 1 - procedures do not require authorization (for example, Office Visits, MRIs, Routine Diagnostic Tests)
    • Level 2 - procedures can be authorized by ACS – often over the phone with ACS
    • Level 3 and 4 - procedures require authorization by a Claims Examiner but initiated via fax from provider to ACS
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Using the ACS Web Portal to Check Eligibility
  • Check service eligibility without calling ACS by entering


  • valid case number
  • valid procedure (CPT) or revenue code
  • approximate date of service



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Using the ACS Web Portal to Check Eligibility
  • If the procedure entered is related to the accepted condition, the user will see a message indicating the approval level of the procedure and other case-specific information:


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Using the ACS Web Portal to Check Eligibility
  • If the procedure entered into the Eligibility Inquiry doesn’t match the accepted condition, the user will see the following message:


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When Accepted Condition and Procedure Don’t Match
  • Advise that provider needs to complete the Authorization Request Process
    • Claims Examiner will determine if claim can be expanded for new condition based on information in file and information submitted with request
    • Claims examiner will determine if additional development is needed to determine if claim can be expanded to include new condition

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Timelines for Prior Medical Authorizations
  • Level 2 procedures that ACS can authorize take an average of 3.5 days
  • All spinal surgery and many other surgery authorizations require District Medical Advisor (DMA) approval and take about 30 days
  • In some instances, additional development of the claim by the Claims Examiner is needed to approve or deny an authorization request.  Case complexity, claimant responsiveness, employing agency responsiveness, and other factors impact the timeline for authorization.


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Notifications Regarding Authorization Request
  • Within 2 business days, the authorization request is  logged into the system, forwarded to the Claims Examiner if necessary, or returned to provider if incomplete
  • If a request for authorization is approved, the requesting provider is notified via mail
  • If a request cannot be approved because additional information is needed, requesting provider is notified via mail
  • If a request is denied, the Claims Examiner issues an official denial letter to claimant
  • Authorization status available via AQS or direct access to ACS web portal http://owcp.dol.acs-inc.com or via the ACS IVR at 866-335-8319
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Authorization Letter
  • Requesting Provider receives authorization via U. S. Mail
  • But…No need to wait for the mail.  Check authorizations via AQS or direct access to ACS web portal http://owcp.dol.acs-inc.com
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Using the ACS Web Portal to Check Authorizations
  • Click on Medical Authorization Inquiry


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Using the ACS Web Portal to Check Authorizations
  • Enables users to check authorization status without calling ACS
  • Limit the number of authorizations returned by entering dates of service range



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Using the ACS Web Portal to Check Authorizations
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Using the ACS Web Portal to Check Bill Status
  • Choose to see Resolved or In Process bills
  • Dates of Service is optional
  • Can search for a particular provider number
  • Can search for a particular TCN


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Using the ACS Web Portal to Check Bill Status
  • Displays information on bills submitted bills
  • Returns a maximum of 200 bills – message tells if there are more than 200 bills matching search criteria
  • To view description of billed diagnosis (ICD9), click on hyperlink
  • To view line items for a specific bill, click on the hyperlinked TCN
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Using the ACS Web Portal to Check Bill Status
  • All line items for the selected bill appear
  • To view descriptions for Procedure (CPT), Revenue, or EOB codes, click on hyperlink


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Using the ACS Web Portal to Check Bill Status
  • It is possible for some line items to pay on a bill and others not


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How Employing Agencies Can Help Providers
  • Encourage providers to register/enroll
  • Encourage providers to use ACS web portal http://owcp.dol.acs-inc.com for
    • Eligibility status
    • Authorization status
    • Bill payment status
    • Link to FAQs
  • Encourage providers to bill electronically
  • Give Providers accepted condition information – ICD9s and descriptions – when they request it
  • Don’t submit bills for providers
  • Don’t complete med auths for providers
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How Employing Agencies Can Help Injured Workers
  • Encourage Injured Workers to use ACS web portal http://owcp.dol.acs-inc.com for
    • Eligibility status
    • Authorization status
    • Bill payment status
    • Link to FAQs
    • Forms
  • Give Injured Workers their accepted condition information – ICD9s and descriptions – a screen shot from AQS works for this
  • Advise/Encourage Injured Workers to give their accepted condition information to their treating physicians
  • Educate Injured Workers about the authorization and bill pay processes
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We appreciate your willingness to work with us to create a system that works for all of our customers – Injured Workers, Providers, and Employing Agencies