Posted in #Medicareadvantage, #reimbursement, #unitedhealthcare, Payer Updates, Prior Authorization Insurance Carrier Updates

UHC Medicare Advantage Plans: DME changes in certain States

For any DOS April 1st 2026 and thereafter the new company that will manage DME ordering and fulfillment will be Synergy Health.


This change will apply to Medicare Advantage Plans in certain states:

Individual HMO and PPO plans:

Via UHC website

Chronic Special Needs Plans (C-SNP)

Via UHC website

Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNP):

  • North Dakota
  • South Dakota
  • West Virginia

DME providers would need to join Synapse Health network. Synapse will contact you, however you can also reach out to them via email: JoinOurNetwork@synapsehealth.com


To which DMEs does this change apply?

  • Diabetic supplies
  • Enteral
  • Home ambulatory
  • Hospital beds
  • Insulin therapy
  • Mobility aids 
  • Negative pressure wound therapy
  • Ostomy
  • Oxygen
  • Respiratory
  • Respiratory vest
  • Sleep
  • Urological
  • Ventilators
  • Wheelchairs

The DMEs that this change does not apply to?

  • Bone growth stimulators
  • Cancer treatment
  • Cardiac defibrillators
  • Complex rehab
  • Optune device
  • Oral devices
  • Orthotics
  • Parenteral nutrition, vision, and hearing
  • Prosthetics

Authorizations:

Providers would need to request an auth from Synapse Health for DOS of April 1st 2026 and there after, via their portal https://connect.synapsehealth.com/authorization/login

As a provider you can also go on their web to request a personalized training http://www.synapsehealth.com/welcome


Which plans are no affected by this change? Medicare Advantage-

Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNP)
Institutional Equivalent Special Needs Plans (IE-SNPs) 
Group retiree plans


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Posted in #unitedhealthcare, Payer Updates, Prior Authorization Insurance Carrier Updates, Training

UHC Colorado: Rocky Mountain Health Plan-BH prior auth updates

If you are a provider that accepts the following Rocky Mountain Health Plan types, then this blog post is for you:

  1. D-SNP: dual eligible special needs plan
  2. Child Health Plus
  3. Medicare Advantage
  4. Individual and Family plans
  5. Medicaid: RAE/PRIME

The following update will take affect for any DOS 7/1/25 and thereafter:

1.HCPCs – H2033, T2022- Multisystemic Therapy (MST), Enhanced MST: Requires pre-service notification, authorization necessary for services provided more than 90 days

2.H0036, T2022-Functional Family Therapy (FFT), Enhanced FFT: Requires pre-service notification, authorization necessary for services provided more than 90 days

3. G0137, H0015, Rev code 906- Substance use disorder intensive outpatient programming (SUD IOP): Requires pre-service notification, authorization necessary for services greater than 15 sessions

4. HCPCs code S9480, Rev code 905-Behavioral health intensive outpatient programming (BH IOP): Requires pre-service notification, authorization necessary for services greater than 15 sessions

5. Rev. code 0911-Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF): Requires prior authorization

6.H0019-Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF): Requires prior authorization

8. CPT codes: 6132, 96133, 96136, 96137, 96138, 96139, 96146, 96130, 96131-Neuropsychological and psychological testing (and related codes): Requires prior authorization

7. H0017- All services associated with H0017, including Acute Treatment Unit (ATU): Requires prior authorization

9. CPT codes- 96116, 96121- Neurobehavioral status exam: Requires prior authorization

To access the full list of codes, please click here: https://www.uhcprovider.com/en/prior-auth-advance-notification/adv-notification-plan-reqs.html and find the BH section


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Posted in #reimbursement, #unitedhealthcare, NY Providers, Training

NYS UHC Community Plan: which services require a referral?

With the uncertainty increasing in the Healthcare industry it is imperative to keep yourself updated on which plans require referrals from PCPs to see a specialty.


UHC Community Plan members might not require referrals for all of their specialists but some still do:

  • Allergy and immunology
  • Dermatology
  • Endocrinology
  • Gastroenterology
  • General surgery
  • Neurological surgery
  • Orthopedic surgery
  • Otolaryngology
  • Physical medicine and rehabilitation/physiatry
  • Plastic surgery
  • Podiatry
  • Pulmonary medicine
  • Sports medicine
  • Urology
  • Vascular surgery

Please make sure that the PCP goes on the https://www.uhcprovider.com/ and uses the referral solution in the Provider Portal to create a referral in order to avoid any unnecessary denials.


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