General Conditions of Payment

(A) Except to the extent otherwise permitted by state or federal regulations, no provider is entitled to any payment from MassHealth unless on the date of service the provider was a participating provider and the person receiving the services was a member. (B) The "date of service" is the date on which a medical service is provided to a member or, if the medical service consists principally of custom-made goods such as eyeglasses, dentures, or durable medical equipment, the date on which the goods are delivered to a member. If a provider delivers to a member medical goods that had to be ordered, fitted, or altered for the member, and that member ceases to be eligible for such MassHealth services on a date before the final delivery of the goods, the MassHealth agency will pay the provider for the goods only under the following circumstances: (1) the member must have been eligible for MassHealth on the date of the member's last visit with the provider before the provider orders or fabricates the goods; (2) the date on which the provider orders or fabricates the goods occurs no later than seven days after the last visit; (3) the provider has submitted documentation with the claim to the MassHealth agency that verifies both the date of the member's last visit that occurred before the provider ordered or fabricated the goods and the date on which the goods were actually ordered or fabricated; (4) the provider must not have accepted any payment from the member for the goods except copayments as provided in 130 CMR 450.130; and (5) the provider must have attempted to deliver the goods to the member. (C) For the purposes of 130 CMR 450.231, a provider who directly services the member and who also produces the goods for delivery to the member has "fabricated" an item if the provider has taken the first substantial step necessary to initiate the production process after the conclusion of all necessary member visits. (D) A provider is responsible for verifying a member’s eligibility status on a daily basis, including but not limited to members who are hospitalized or institutionalized. In order to receive MassHealth payment for a covered medical service, the person receiving such service must be eligible for MassHealth coverage on the date of service and the provider must comply with any service authorization requirements and all other conditions of payment. A provider’s failure to verify a member’s MassHealth status before providing services to the member may result in nonpayment of such services. For payment for services provided before a member’s MassHealth eligibility determination, see 130 CMR 450.309(B). For payment to out-of-state providers providing services on an emergency basis, see 130 CMR 450.309(C). (E) Payments to QMB-only providers as defined in 130 CMR 450.212(D) may be made upon the MassHealth agency's receipt of a claim for payment within the time limitations set forth in provisions, regulations, or rules under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. (F) Payment to all providers is made in accordance with the payment methodology applicable to the provider, established by EOHHS, subject to all applicable federal payment limits. 2. Administrative Regulations (G) If under state or federal statute, regulation, billing instructions or other subregulatory guidance, a National Provider Identifier (NPI) of a MassHealth-enrolled provider is required on a claim submitted to MassHealth, the NPI must be included on the claim, and that provider must participate in MassHealth for the claim to be payable. If the NPI of a provider who is not a MassHealth participating provider is included on a claim for any reason or if an NPI is not provided in accordance with state or federal requirements, that claim may not be payable. (H) When any participating MassHealth provider orders, refers, or prescribes a service for a MassHealth member, that provider must include his or her individual NPI on such orders, referrals, or prescriptions. Such provider must also provide his or her individual NPI to a servicing billing provider upon request in other circumstances in which the servicing billing provider must include the ordering, referring or prescribing provider’s NPI on MassHealth claims. (130 CMR 450.232 Reserved) 2. Administrative Regulations