Frequently Asked Questions on the Personal Care Services Process

A. In order for a beneficiary to receive PCS services, the referring physician must completely fill out NC Medicaid referral form and fax it to Liberty Healthcare of NC at 919-307-8307. You will find this form, along with a list of instructions on the Liberty Healthcare of NC website. Click on the "Medicaid PCS" tab and then click on "Medicaid PCS Forms."

A. In most cases, the beneficiary's primary care physician (PCP) should make the referral. If the beneficiary is being discharged from an inpatient facility (hospital, nursing home, rehab facility), the attending physician, hospitalist, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant may make the referral. In these cases, the case manager or discharge planner should be listed as the contact person on the referral form. If the beneficiary does not have a PCP, he/she should get the referral from the doctor who is treating the health problem that is causing disability.

A. The beneficiary, not the physician, chooses the PCS agency. When a practitioner requests a particular PCS provider on the referral, Liberty will only honor the request if it matches the beneficiary's choice of provider.

A. Prior to performing an independent assessment, Liberty Healthcare of NC verifies the beneficiary's eligibility for Medicaid programs that cover PCS.

It is possible for a beneficiary's Medicaid coverage to lapse in the period of time between when the assessment is completed and when the provider receives a referral to begin PCS. Therefore, Liberty Healthcare of NC and NC Medicaid recommend that providers check Medicaid eligibility before beginning services for a newly referred client. Additionally, since a beneficiary's eligibility may change from month to month, providers should consistently check eligibility for existing clients. This will help to avoid billing issues related to lapsed Medicaid eligibility. Beneficiaries who no longer have valid Medicaid coverage for PCS will need to contact their local Department of Social Services (DSS) office for assistance. You can read more information about verifying beneficiary Medicaid eligibility in Section 10, page 47 of the Provider Claims and Billing Guide on the NC Tracks website.

A. To check beneficiary eligibility, please contact Provider Services AVRS system (option 1/ option 1) at 1-800-723-4337. You may also use the NC Tracks Provider Portal; you will locate more information on how to use the portal in Section 10.2 of the Provider Claims and Billing Guide on the NC Tracks website. To check eligibility for claims over 1 year old call 919-855-4045.

A. Functional Eligibility assessments will be conducted using a standardized process and assessment tool provided and approved by NC Medicaid. The assessment will incorporate observation, interview, and beneficiary simulation of ADLs and associated IADLs, interviews with caregivers, family members or agency/facility staff and review of available records. The assessor may review some or all of the following records:

• Patient/beneficiary confidentiality statement or agreement
• Emergency medical release, or HIPAA form
• Guardianship documents, if applicable
• Resident admission records
• FL-2 or MR-2
• Medications, medication lists or Medication Administration Record (MAR)
• Physician's orders or medical records provided by the beneficiary
• Person Centered Plan
• Service Plan
• Aide Task List
• Supervision Notes
• Any relevant documentation provided by the beneficiary

A. Liberty Healthcare of NC will send a referral letter to the client's chosen provider after the IA has been completed and processed. The referral letter will inform providers of the effective date of the authorized hours. This information can be found near the bottom of the page. The provider has two business days to either accept or decline the referral within their QiReport Provider Interface.

Providers accepting clients who have been authorized for PCS services will also receive a "Notice of Decision on Initial Request for Medicaid Services" (for new referrals), a "Notice of Decision on a Continuing Request for Medicaid Services" (for clients who previously received PCS services), or a "Notice of Change in Services" (for clients who previously received PCS services and are authorized for a reduced number of hours after the most recent assessment). The letter will indicate the final number of authorized hours for a particular client. Providers should begin services for a client based on the effective date noted in this letter, not in the referral letter.

A. Ten (10) calendar days.

A. If a beneficiary selects your agency as their provider, you will receive a "referral notice", which contains the beneficiary's name and MID number, as well as the service level authorized. Your agency may accept or reject this referral. Please note that the "referral notice" is not an authorization to begin services for a beneficiary.

If your agency accepts the referral, you will then receive a "decision notice" which includes the authorized service level and identifies the date when the agency should begin providing services for the beneficiary.

A. Prior to receiving services, an independent assessment will be conducted by an Assessor using a standardized process and assessment tool approved by NC Medicaid. This assessment will determine and authorize hours of service and level of care for new referrals, annual renewals, and change of status requests.

A. Beneficiary hours may be confirmed by reviewing the "decision notice", within the beneficiary's record on the QiReport Provider Interface, or by calling the Liberty Healthcare of NC Call Center at 855-740-1400.

A. No. Authorized hours are calculated after the independent assessment is uploaded to our software system and are based on the beneficiary's demonstrated abilities. The Assessor does not determine approval/denial or the number of hours.

A. If the beneficiary declines PCS hours during a particular week (e.g., does not need services on Thursday this week because family member is available to help) but will resume the regular number of hours after that, no change is needed to the initial assessment or the service plan. Also, if a beneficiary wants to change the days they are provided services, the provider will need to document the deviation and update the service plan.

If the beneficiary wants to reduce the total number of days of service per week, the agency will need to submit a Non-Medical Change of Status request so an assessment may be completed for a reduction in service hours.

A. Individuals approved for PCS may select any eligible Medicaid PCS provider licensed to provide care in the beneficiary's area. The following steps are used to facilitate beneficiaries' selection of three preferred providers:

• Ask the individual to name any preferred PCS provider(s), which may include the current PCS provider, if applicable. If fewer than three preferences, go to next step.
• Present randomized list of licensed, eligible PCS providers in the beneficiary's county and request the beneficiary select 3. If fewer than three preferred providers in total, go to next step.
• If the beneficiary does not wish to select 3 provider choices, but prefers to stay with their current provider, then that provider will be listed for all three provider choices in the assessment.

A. Switching a beneficiary to a sister agency can be completed through the QiReport Provider Interface . After selecting the intended beneficiary, select the "Provider Change Number" tab; then enter the required information, including effective date, to complete the request. For additional assistance call the Liberty Healthcare of NC Call Center at 855-740-1400.

A. A beneficiary has the right to change his/her provider at any time. A Change of Provider request is the means by which a beneficiary can request that his/her services be provided by a different provider.

To submit a Change of Provider request a beneficiary or individual who has Power of Attorney for the beneficiary may call the Liberty Healthcare of NC Call center at 1-855-740-1400 or submit a Provider Change Request Form available on the Liberty website at https://nc-pcs.com/Medicaid-PCS-forms/.

Please note that a Change of Provider request may only be submitted by the beneficiary or a caregiver who has Power of Attorney for the beneficiary. Providers, physicians, and non-designated family members may not submit a Change of Provider request on behalf of a beneficiary.

A. Beneficiaries may change their PCS providers by contacting the Liberty Healthcare of NC Call Center at 1-855-740-1400 to request the change or by filling out the Change of Provider Request form and faxing the completed form to Liberty at 919-307-8307.

Home Care Agencies and Licensed Residential Facilities should have beneficiaries or the recipient's legal representatives to call the Liberty Healthcare Corporation-NC Call Center for Change of Provider (COP) requests. Home Care Agencies and Licensed Residential Facilities may assist the beneficiary or legal representative in placing the call, but may not make a change without the permission of the beneficiary or legal representative.

A. A Change of Status request can be either Medical or Non-Medical in nature. The below outlines when each should be sent as well as who should submit each type to Liberty Healthcare:

• Change of Status: Medical
• Needs more or fewer service hours due to a documented change in medical condition as attested to by their physician.
• Must be submitted by their physician.
• Change of Status: Non-Medical
• Has experienced a change in caregiver status.
• Has had a change in the total days of need per week.
• Has had a change in their location that would affect their ability to perform their ADLs.
• May be submitted by the provider; the beneficiary; the beneficiary's family; guardian; or person with Power of Attorney.  The beneficiary's provider can even request a Non-Medical COS directly from their QiReport Provider Interface.

A. A "Change of Status" form is only needed if there has been a significant change in function. Otherwise, PCS services may resume under the previous plan of care for the authorization period.

If you have requested a Change of Status assessment, you may resume PCS services for the previously authorized hours while the beneficiary waits for the assessment to be completed.

A. Yes

A. A change that affects the beneficiary's ability to self-perform qualifying ADLs.

A. Only adverse (denial/reduction) notifications will be sent traceable mail.

A. If a provider receives an old provider notification to discharge a beneficiary within 10 days, the beneficiary should be discharged no later than 10 calendar days from the date of the notification.

If an agency receives a 10-day start notification the agency should not start servicing the beneficiary until 10 calendar days from the date of the notice. For example: If a notification is dated January 1, 2013 - the start date would be January 11, 2013. This allows the previous providers adequate time to properly discharge the beneficiary and prevents interruption of service and overlapping dates of service.

A. The letter will indicate when services will end.

A. Yes. Every time a provider accepts a referral, they will need to complete a service plan in their QiReport Provider Interface.

A. An "Annual Review" is an annual reassessment and is to be conducted on beneficiaries who are currently receiving PCS. These assessments must be scheduled and conducted within 365 days of their last assessment.