Availity for billing question

06-17-19


Has anyone used Availity for billing Blue Cross/Blue Shield, aka Blue Cross/Blue Shield Medicaid,  for AMH or CMH targeted case management since 01/01/19?  If so, could you email Jane Meyer:  jmeyer@co.ottertail.mn.us


Parental Fees

06-06-19


We would like to know who (Fiscal, CSO, Eligibility Worker, Collections Officer,….) is determining and collecting Parental Fees at your county.  Specifically, for fees assessed by the County Agency:

  • Who determines which parents owe a parental fee  (MA, IV-E, TEFRA, considerations)
  • Who determines the amount of the parental fee (collection of income data, fee determination, periodic reviews)
  • Who collects (monthly billings, past-due accounts)

Or any other tasks that I may have missed.  This is not an area that I have working knowledge of and I have most likely omitted something.



Thanks,



Duane K.

Debit Cards to clients

06-05-19


I am a fiscal manager in Hennepin County and looking to see if any other counties are using Debit cards in place of issuing checks to the clients.

We are looking into this option using US Bank but looking to see what other counties are doing?  Do they issue them for all client services where county funds are used?



Please let me know if you have additional questions.

Also, could you let me know when it is posted so that I can look for responses.





Maureen Rioux | Accounts Payable Manager | HSPHD – Financial Analysis & Accounting

300 South Six Street | MC 155| Minneapolis, MN 55487-0155

Office – 612-348-7727 | Black Berry - 612-306-6852 | Fax – 612-632-8709

State Audit Prep


06-05-19
What do each of you do in preparation for your state audit?  I have some very cryptic notes from the previous Fiscal Supervisor, and none of it makes sense.  I’m looking for a list of year-end tasks or journal entries that you do to close out books, or prepare schedules for the audit. 





Lori Ericson  |  Fiscal Supervisor

Cook County Public Health & Human Services

411 W. 2nd Street, Grand Marais,  MN  55604
Direct: (218) 387-3612  |  FAX: (218) 387-2020

SSIS question on flipping workgroups

06-05-19


We are doing a case file audit on some of our cases and am wondering when other counties are flipping from assessment workgroups to case management workgroups for adults in SSIS?  Does this affect any reimbursement formulas if a case stayed in assessment but we are thinking should have been switched to case management awhile back?  Any information would be appreciated.


Thanks!

Carli Goble

Fiscal Supervisor/Collections Officer
 Aitkin County Health & Human Services
Accounting Department
204 1st Street NW
Aitkin, MN 56431
Phone (218) 927-7200

ACH/Direct Deposit for Vendors

05-28-19


We are looking at direct deposit/ACH for our vendors.  This idea is originating from a volunteer driver requesting it.  If your county/department does this, who maintains the vendor file/deposit info?  DO you use this for child support?  If so, how does it interface with the state (what’s the process)?



Jen Albjerg
Fiscal Manager
Grant County Social Services
Grant County Highway Dept
Region IV Adult Mental Health Initiative
Email:  jennifer.albjerg@co.grant.mn.us
Phone:  218-685-8218
Fax:  218-685-4978

AMH/CMH TCM Claiming


05-01-19

From AMH and CMH TCM month claiming, when they are on a managed health care plan (such as South Country and Blue Plus).  Is everyone doing Do Not Claims on these clients and putting in the plan and then entering information on the “Plan Prior Authorzation”






If you are, then how are you pulling your manual claims?
I know the rules for Do Not Claims and you are “supposed” to do it this way, but then you don’t get all the information that you need to manually claim without going into each client on the Do Not Claim Report and viewing each monthly contact. 

A total pain and time waster.

We were not putting them in the Do Not Claims and then letting them deny on our SSIS claim batches so we at least got the information needed to manually claim, but that sounds also like a waste of time and efficiency.

Gwen Resech
SOCIAL SERVICES FISCAL SUPERVISOR
WABASHA COUNTY

Job Applicants screening tool

04-23-19


Julie,

Does anyone send out questions to applicants to send back the answers before they interview them as a screening tool? If so, could I get a copy of them?

Thanks.


Marlene Remmel
Fiscal Supervisor
114 N Holcombe Ave Ste 180
Litchfield MN 55355-2273
320-693-5300 ext 310
320-693-5344 Fax

MMIS Service Agreement Issue

04-23-19

MMIS Service Agreement Issue

Could you please forward this email string along to the MCHSSA group for insight to what other counties are doing with this? 

It’s a concern to our Social Services Supervisor and myself that we are being directed to authorize large amounts in Service Agreements that the provider COULD use anytime within the date span of the SA (this is for CCDTF, Care Coordination and Peer Support Services) 

i.e. We have a service agreement with a provider to provide services 10 days/month for 4 months.  MMIS is not allowing us to only authorize 10 days (8 units per day=80 units/month) for the service agreement span.  We are being directed by DHS to authorize every day in the 4 month span at 8 units per day.  This allows the provider to bill up to that amount, which far exceeds the amount actually authorized.

Is anyone else noticing this as a problem in their county?  How are you tracking so the provider doesn’t take advantage of this?

Thanks!
Fiscal Supervisor/Collections Officer
Aitkin County Health & Human Services
Phone (218) 927-7200

Initial response to Aitkin County from DHS:
Counties should authorize the date span in which the services COULD be used.  They may only use requested units of the total that was authorized but use those units at varying times within the date span.

Aitkin County internal e-mails:
1. What she came back with, does not address the problem of authorizing big money!
2. So if I am understanding this correctly, she is now directing us to just authorize all of it?
3. Yes, that is what I am understanding too. I wonder if whomever she has talked to understands the concern. Is there anyone else we can appeal to?

Aitkin County e-mail sent to state regarding the prior response:
Thank you for your prompt response. Just so I am understanding DHS’s direction then, you are indicating that counties authorize the 8 units per day per service, if it is being requested, for the entire date span of the service agreement, encumbering large amounts of dollars, to provide the provider access to bill when they provide the service?

This does not address the large amount of dollars being encumbered but we will do this if this is what DHS is directing counties to do.

DHS final response:
Correct! If you like, you can also inform the provider of units per day for tx coord and peer support so they can request units appropriately as well.



TCM for ICPC Children


04-23-19
How do you handle charges and target case management for ICPC children?  When they do not have MA for Minnesota and do not qualify for IV-E?  But are on for instance BagerCare in Wisconsin or another form of assistance in another state?

Gwen Resech
SOCIAL SERVICES FISCAL SUPERVISOR
WABASHA COUNTY

Cost Allocation Plan input for conference

04-08-19



I’m working with Angela Pond from Government Management Group on a Cost Allocation Plan presentation for conference. What questions do you have regarding Cost Allocation plans? This is the time to get your questions answered. The more input we can give on the information needed, the more you will get out of the presentation!

Thank you!


Emily Ehnes
Fiscal Supervisor
Sherburne County Health & Human Services
phone 763-765-4025  fax 763-765-4096


Parking Ramp receipts

04-14-19


MA Access—Has anyone ran into clients being at Mayo in Rochester and documentation for payment when exiting the ramps after hours.  Did you reimburse for their after-hours ramp exits? What was provided for documentation? There is no way to prove what was paid because they use the honor system in those ramps.  I spoke with the parking ramp person and after 6pm and on the weekends they do not issue receipts. Thoughts??

Jen Albjerg
Fiscal Manager
Grant County Social Services
Grant County Highway Dept
Region IV Adult Mental Health Initiative
Phone:  218-685-8218
Fax:  218-685-4978

? on McCrossan Boys Ranch

04-04-19


Have any of you ever had a child go to the MCCrossan Boys Ranch in Sioux Falls SD?  If so, what did you code the MMIS Living Arrangement as and does this qualify for any kind of funding or is it straight county dollars?

Gwen Resech
SOCIAL SERVICES FISCAL SUPERVISOR
WABASHA COUNTY

Excess support case for Child Support

04-04-19


In your county who does the Excess support case for child support?  Is it a child support officer, collections officer, or does it fall to someone in fiscal?

Jill Frisell
Assistant Auditor/Treasurer/Finance Director
Douglas County Finance
Phone:  320-762-3880
Fax:  320-762-3833

SS Paying for Attorney fees

03-06-19


We had a termination of parental rights, one parent appealed all the way to the MN Supreme Court.  The appeal was denied.  The courts have now directed our county to pay for this individual’s attorney fees and he was granted forma pauperis.  We already pay for both of the conflict attorneys during the termination and adoption process.  Has anyone ran into this?  Who is responsible to pay these fees?  If the social services area is responsible, did you pay under brass 119?  Thank you in advance for any help!

Thanks-

Jen Albjerg
Fiscal Manager
Grant County Social Services
Grant County Highway Dept
Region IV Adult Mental Health Initiative
Phone:  218-685-8218
Fax:  218-685-4978

Procurement Policy


3-5-19

Have other counties updated their Procurement Policy due to the OMB Memo dated June 20, 2018 M-18-18 to reflect the new standards?  CliftonLarsonAllen Compliance: Procurement Policies


Thanks!

Carli Goble
Fiscal Supervisor/Collections Officer

Aitkin County Health & Human Services
Accounting Department
204 1st Street NW
Aitkin, MN 56431
Phone (218) 927-7200



Note: there was a procurement question on 2/6/19 that you can also reference on the blog.

Here are 3 links shared from Crow Wing County that contains their Procurement Policy, Procurement Procedures and Procurement Quick Reference.


Procurement Policy

Procurement Procedures

Quick Reference

Clearing Houses

02-28-19


What are counties using for clearing houses? Pros/Cons – Who does a spreadsheet to upload TCM claims, will you share your setup and process to get us started. We currently submit claims, manually but are having trouble with Health EC. Have heard that Availability isn’t any better.
If you use Health EC, did you recently get an agreement you need to sign with HealthEC, and is UCARE still supposed to take care of any clearing house fees if there are any?

Thanks

Steph
Stephani Diekmann
Fiscal Supervisor
Nobles County Community Services Agency
507-295-5222

Consumer Support Grant


02-27-19
Benton County is contracting  with a vendor to provide Consumer Support Grant services .    The 5%  administrative fee will be paid to the vendor. What codes do you use to pay the vendor?   My understanding is only counties can bill DHS for the fee so we will be claiming  for DHS reimbursement.


Peggy Koscielniak | Fiscal Services Superviosr
Benton County Human Services | PO Box 740 |Foley, MN  56329
320.968-5140

Email Retention Policy

2-19-19

Looking for counties that have an email retention policy. Do you have an issues with it? Are some too restrictive? Do you have items that are automatically deleted from your email by the policy and has it created issues?


Shelley Koen
Accounting Supervisor
Minnesota Prairie County Alliance
(p) 507-923-2913
(f) 507-635-6186
22 East 6th Street, Dept 401
Mantorville, MN 55955

Summons billing

2-19-19


How many counties pay for summons served by the sheriff's office out of social service funds? If you pay for them do you pay for them through admin or through SSIS & attach them to a workgroup?

Thank you for your input.


Marlene Remmel
Fiscal Supervisor
114 N Holcombe Ave Ste 180
Litchfield MN 55355-2273
320-693-5300 ext 310
320-693-5344 Fax

CW-TCM Procedures/policies

2-19-19


I am gathering information, policies, procedures and resources for CW-TCM.......does anyone have any written information in their county they would like to share?  I will compile all the information and it can be shared with all counties in the future.


--
Melissah Puttbrese-Lundeen
Kittson County Social Services
Fiscal Officer
218-843-2689

PreferredOne Insurance question


2-19-19

This past year we billed flu shots to PreferredOne and they are coming back to us patient responsibility due to our clinic being ‘out of network’.  To become associated with them, they want us to fill out a preapp (attached) and under their criteria for contract it says that the nurse providers are required to maintain professional liability (malpractice) insurance. 

                Is this insurance something other counties carry on their public health nurses?  Are other counties contracted with PreferredOne?

                Any insight to what others are doing would be appreciated.  Thanks!

 Link to document:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NYu5F1sZAKriZt_gYww_GWPiJKE3wElD/view?usp=sharing





Carli Goble
Fiscal Supervisor/Collections Officer

Aitkin County Health & Human Services
Accounting Department
204 1st Street NW
Aitkin, MN 56431
Phone (218) 927-7200


MA Client Spenddowns

02-13-19


What is your county’s procedure for collecting MA client spenddowns?  How many times do you bill the client, what is your process if they don’t pay?  Up until the last 6 months or so we haven’t had many because of the delay in billing…but lately there seems to be an increase.   What are other counties doing?

Diane Aschnewitz
Fiscal Supervisor
Otter Tail County Human Services
530 W Fir Av
Fergus Falls MN  56537
218-998-8157

Procurement Audit

02-06-19


Has your county had a procurement audit? If so, were there any audit findings? What were the findings and recommendations? What firm completed your audit?
Please reply on the blog or directly to me.

Thanks,

Emily




PASAR claiming

02-06-19


New Question for the MCHHSA Blog.  “Has anyone done claiming for PASAR in 2018?  I’d like to speak with you regarding the process you used.  I’m looking for more than just the information sheet that was distributed a while back.”  If you would email Julie Hultman and I direct as well.

Mark A. Jensen
Fiscal Supervisor
Isanti County Family Services
Oakview Office Complex
1700 E Rum River Drive S, Ste A
Cambridge, MN  55008-2547
763-689-8106

Comp absences

02-06-19

How to you account for Comp absences in your yearly budget?  And how to you set aside money for it?  How often to you accrue comp absences?  Monthly? Quarterly?  Yearly?


Scott Nagel
Fiscal Manager
Des Moines Valley Health and Human Services
Jackson, Minnesota 56143
507-849-7281

MAXIS IMD code issues

01-18-19
Our Financial Unit is having trouble changing the Major Program Code in MAXIS to IM for those children now changed from Rule 5 to IMD facilities.  Anyone know of the correct steps for this process?

Thanks,

Susan Roll
   Fiscal Supervisor

                  

218-299-7298 l ph
218-299-5195 l fax

                     Social Services
       715 N 11 ST Suite 102
         Moorhead MN 56560

PHDocs for SS

01-16-19


How many counties use PHDocs for the social services side?  What do you use it for?  How does it tie into SSIS, the Seagr Report, Time Activity Summaries?  What works and what doesn’t work.  And do if you do use it do you mind if I call you to ask you more questions.

 Thanks

Gwen Resech

SOCIAL SERVICES FISCAL SUPERVISOR
WABASHA COUNTY

Electronic payments to vendors

01-15-19

Do you make payments to vendors electronically?  If so, which ones?  What are the benefits and challenges to do so?  What legal documents do you need?  And how do you interface SSIS and IFs payments accordingly?

--
Scott Nagel
Fiscal Manager
Des Moines Valley Health and Human Services
Jackson, Minnesota 56143
507-849-7281

Employee Reimbursements (paperless)

01-15-19
  We are exploring different systems to use for employee reimbursements (i.e. mileage) that would eliminate the  need for paper forms. One we looked into was called eReimburse but we don't have enough information on it.
   If your County is using a paperless system could you please share or contact me directly to discuss?

Thank you,

Shelley Koen
Accounting Supervisor
Minnesota Prairie County Alliance
(p) 507-923-2913
(f) 507-635-6186
22 East 6th Street, Dept 401
Mantorville, MN 55955

Home & Community-Based services


01-15-19
Question for the AMSSA group…

I know there are just a few counties that provide Home & Community-Based Services for waivers, such as homemaker or chore services, with individual contracted providers.  If your county has contracted providers that you pay for these services, could you please contact me directly?  I have some questions regarding billing and rates.   Lori.Ericson@co.cook.mn.us  

Thanks!

Lori Ericson  |  Fiscal Supervisor
Cook County Public Health & Human Services
411 W. 2nd Street, Grand Marais,  MN  55604
Direct: (218) 387-3612  |  FAX: (218) 387-2020

RFC license question


1-4-19
I’m wondering what information has to be in the licenses for a business organization when a child is placed with a relative who is out of state but is licensed – I have a copy of their license from North Dakota. Thank you.    Responses can go to jmeyer@co.ottertail.mn.us

Thank you!

Diane Aschnewitz
Fiscal Supervisor
Otter Tail County Human Services
530 W Fir Av
Fergus Falls MN  56537
218-998-8157