Provider Disputes or Appeals

Definitions

CareSource provides several opportunities for you to request review of claim or authorization denials. Actions available after a denial include:

Claim Appeals

A claim appeal is a written request by a provider to review the denial or payment of a claim due to processing errors. For out-of-network providers, please refer to the Non-Participating Provider Appeals and Disputes.

Claim Dispute

A dispute is the first formal review of the processing of a claim by CareSource (excluding denials based on medical necessity) and is typically submitted by participating providers prior to claim appeal. You can submit a claim payment dispute when you disagree with payment and any other post-service claim denial. CareSource pays non-contracted providers, as Medicare would have paid for the same service. If your disagreement is limited to the amounts a non-contracted provider could collect if the beneficiary were enrolled in original Medicare pursuant to § 422.214(a)(l), you should use the plan’s internal payment dispute process to:

CareSource
Attn: Provider Disputes
P.O. Box 1947
Dayton, OH 45401-1947

Clinical Appeals

A clinical appeal is a written request by a provider to review a prior authorization denial with a clinical decision regarding medical necessity. Clinical denials are issued from the CareSource Utilization Management department. You may submit clinical appeals pre- or post-service. All pre-service appeals, not submitted by a physician or a physician’s representative, must be accompanied by a valid Authorization of Representative form. For more information about requirements for pre- and post-service appeals, view the Clinical Appeals section below.

Claim Disputes

If you believe the claim was processed incorrectly due to incomplete, incorrect or unclear information on the claim, you should submit a corrected claim. You should not file a dispute or appeal. Refer to the Claims page or the Navigate Provider Manual for further information related to claims submission.

Please note: All Non-participating providers should submit their claim issues as Claim Appeals and not as a Payment Dispute.

Process for Claim Disputes

Medicare providers who are in CareSource’s network and are participating for CareSource members must use the dispute process for any claim denials. Appeal rights do not exist for participating Medicare providers.

If you believe your claim was denied incorrectly or underpaid, you can submit a claim dispute.

Claim disputes must be submitted in writing. The dispute must be submitted within 60 calendar days of the date of denial or date of payment.

At a minimum, the dispute must include:

  • Sufficient information to identify the claim(s) in dispute
  • A statement of why you believe a claim adjustment is needed
  • Pertinent documentation to support the adjustment

Incomplete requests will be returned with no action taken. Claim disputes can be submitted to CareSource through the following methods:

  • Provider Portal
  • Fax: 937-531-2398
  • Mail: CareSource
    Attn: Provider Appeals
    P.O. Box 1947
    Dayton, OH 45401

CareSource will render a decision within 30 calendar days of receipt. If the decision is to uphold the original claim adjudication and you are a non-participating provider, you may appeal the decision. Appeals must be submitted within 60 days of the date of the denial.

Claim Appeals

If you do not agree with a denial on a processed claim, you have 60 days to submit an appeal from initial adverse decision.

If the appeal is not submitted in the required time frame, without documentation of Good Cause, the claim will not be reconsidered, and the appeal will be dismissed. denied. You will receive notification in writing if the appeal is denied. If your appeal is approved, your payment will appear on the Explanation of Payment (EOP).

Claim appeals will be resolved within 60 calendar days from the date of receipt.

Please note: If your issue is not related to a lack of authorization, please utilize the payment dispute process outlined above as your first method to resolve the issue.

Clinical Appeals

If you disagree with a clinical decision regarding medical necessity, we make it easy for you to be heard.

After receiving a letter from CareSource® denying coverage, a provider or member can submit a pre-service or post-service clinical appeal.

  • Pre-Service Appeal: denial of an authorization for a service prior to being completed. You have 60 days from the date of the authorization denial to submit a pre-service appeal. The pre-service appeal must be accompanied by a valid Authorization of Representative (AOR) form. The AOR form is available on our Forms webpage.
  • Post-Service Appeal: denial of an authorization for a service that has already been completed. You have 60 days from date of service, discharge or authorization denial to submit a post-service appeal.

If you have not received an authorization denial from the CareSource Utilization Management Department for a service that requires a prior authorization, you should not submit a retro-authorization request prior to filing a clinical appeal, your issue is now considered a claim appeal and should be submitted as such.

The first appeal requested is called a Level 1 appeal. In this appeal, the coverage decision is reviewed to ensure we followed all the rules properly.

Providers can request a coverage decision or Level 1 appeal on a member’s behalf. If the appeal is denied at Level 1, it will be automatically forwarded to Level 2. Level 2 appeals are conducted by independent organizations not connected to us. For a provider to request any appeal after Level 2, the member must appoint the provider as his or her representative. Navigate Learn more about Appointing a Representative.

There are three additional levels in the appeals process after Level 2 (for a total of five levels of appeal). Details of all levels can be found in the Navigate Provider Manual.

How to Submit Appeals

You can submit appeals through our Provider Portal or using the Navigate Standard Appeal Form. The Provider Portal is the most efficient method of submitting appeals.

Include the following required documentation:

  • Progress notes including symptoms and their duration, physical exam findings, conservative treatment that the member has completed, preliminary procedures already completed and the reason service is being requested.
  • Any documentation of specialists’ reports or evaluations, any pertinent previous diagnostic reports and therapy notes.
  • If the service has already been provided, a copy of the original remittance advice and/or the denied claim.

Expediting Clinical Appeals

If you feel that your patient’s life or health is at risk if a decision about care is not made in a timely manner, you may ask us to expedite a clinical appeal.

Call us at 1-833-230-2176 to expedite a clinical appeal.

Notification of Resolution

CareSource will decide whether to expedite an appeal within 24 hours. We will make reasonable efforts to provide prompt verbal notification to the member of the decision to expedite or not expedite the appeal; the attempt will be made by phone. If the member is in a facility, their appeal must go through the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO), Livanta. The provider or facility will be notified on the same business day of the decision.

Expedited appeals will be resolved, and verbal notification will be made within 72 hours of receipt of the appeal or as expeditiously as the medical condition requires unless the resolution time frame is extended. CareSource will send written notification to both the provider and the member on the same business day of the decision.

Denied Expedited Appeals

If CareSource decides not to expedite the clinical appeal, we will send written notification within three calendar days of receipt of the appeal to both the member and the provider. This notification will include the determination to process the appeal as a standard appeal and any additional appeal rights the member may have related to our decision. The appeal will be resolved within 30 calendar days from the date the appeal was received and follow the standard CareSource appeal process.

Extending an Appeal

Members may verbally request that CareSource extend the time frame to resolve any medically necessity appeal request up to 14 days. CareSource may also request an extension.

Now Available: Provider Fair Hearing Plan

The Provider Fair Hearing Plan is now available in a Navigate PDF version. Please review this document outlining the provider participation plan.

Updates & Announcements

Please reference any administrative, medical and reimbursement policies that may apply. Also refer to our Updates & Announcements page for notifications of changes that may impact your appeal.

Contact Us

For any questions regarding CareSource’s processes, please contact Provider Services at 1-833-230-2176, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).