LeadingAge Kansas staff continue to get feedback from members about KanCare Clearinghouse issues. Please be assured we are discussing your issues with KDHE and KDADS personnel.
Members that are making progress with this issue have been sharing their tips. Some important steps that all members should be taking include:
- Complete the Clearinghouse spreadsheet available on the KDADS website. It is an important tool for keeping pressure on the Clearinghouse that you have outstanding applications for your residents. It is also a way to get information back from the Clearinghouse about the status of the applications. Yes, that information is not always correct, but then you will know that they don’t have it correct and can educate them to that effect. The spreadsheet can be found at the KDADS website.
- Faxing information to the Clearinghouse on behalf of the resident gives you knowledge of when items are sent and what was sent. Families don’t always communicate clearly about this. After faxing documents, call the Clearinghouse to make sure that they have it. This is also a good opportunity to make sure that they have all that they need.
- Call the Clearinghouse often! Weekly, if not more. Make it a priority for your staff. And don’t settle for the first line Clearinghouse staff that you get. Move it up the line and express the seriousness of the situation in your organization. Especially if the resident is failing, as it is even more difficult to get approval if they pass away before.
- Consider applying for Advance Payments. LeadingAge Kansas members have been getting payments in about 7 days. Concentrate on the residents that you are confident will be approved. It is a 50% payment and you will have to pay in back if they aren’t approved, but it is cash flow that can assist you in paying the bills.
All of this takes valuable staff time to accomplish and, hopefully, this crisis will be resolved soon. But consider the money that you could be could be getting and compare it to the cost of staffing to obtain it. One member has hired a former DCF employee dedicated to this as well as assisting families with applications. Not everyone can do this, but we can all work together to share our successes.
If you need more information on any of this, or have any other ideas to share that have worked for you, please let us know! Contact Lisa Stuever at reimbursement@leadingagekansas.org.
