OHCA Policies and Rules

0317:30-3-65. Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Program/Child-health Services

[Revised 03-01-23]

Payment is made to eligible providers for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) services on behalf of eligible individuals under the age of twenty-one (21).

(1) The EPSDT program is a comprehensive child-health program, designed to ensure the availability of, and access to, required health care resources and help parents and guardians of Medicaid-eligible children and adolescents use these resources. An effective EPSDT program assures that health problems are diagnosed and treated early before they become more complex and their treatment more costly. The physician plays a significant role in educating parents and guardians about all services available through the EPSDT program. The receipt of an identified EPSDT screening makes the member eligible for all necessary follow-up care that is within the scope of the SoonerCare program. Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) covers services, supplies, or equipment that are determined to be medically necessary for a child or adolescent, and which are included within the categories of mandatory and optional services in Section 1905(a) of Title XIX, regardless of whether such services, supplies, or equipment are listed as covered in Oklahoma's Medicaid State Plan.

(2) Federal regulations also require that the State set standards and protocols for each component of EPSDT services. The standards must provide for services at intervals which meet reasonable standards of medical and dental practice. The standards must also provide for EPSDT services at other intervals as medically necessary to determine the existence of certain physical or behavioral health illnesses or conditions.

(3) SoonerCare providers who perform EPSDT screenings must assure that the screenings they provide meet the minimum standards established by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority in order to be reimbursed at the level established for EPSDT services.

(4) An EPSDT screening is considered a comprehensive examination.

(A) If a member is receiving an EPSDT screening and an additional focused complaint arises that requires evaluation and management to address the complaint, the provider may deliver all medically necessary care and submit a claim for both the EPSDT screening and the appropriate level of focused service if the following requirements are met:

(i) The medical issue is significant enough to require additional work to address the issue;

(ii) The visit is documented on a separate note;

(iii) Appropriate documentation that clearly lists the condition being managed at the time of the encounter and supports the billing of both services; and

(iii) Modifier 25 is added to the appropriate code that indicates that a separate evaluation and management service was provided by the same physician on the same day as the EPSDT screening. All claims submitted with Modifier 25 will be reviewed prior to payment, per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 317:30-3-33. The following items will be reviewed prior to any payment:

(I) Medical necessity;

(II) Appropriate utilization of Modifier 25; and

(III) All documentation to support both the EPSDT screening and the additional evaluation and management for a focused complaint must be submitted for review.

(iv) All claims are subject to a post payment review by the OHCA's Program Integrity Unit.

(B) When providing evaluation and management of a focused complaint, during an EPSDT screening, the provider may claim only the additional time that is required above and beyond the completion of the EPSDT screening.

(C) An insignificant or trivial problem that is encountered in the process of performing the preventive evaluation and management service and does not require additional work is included in the EPSDT visit and should not be billed/reported.

(5) There may be other additional diagnostic procedures or treatments not normally considered part of a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic tests and administration of immunizations, required at the time of screening. Additional diagnostic procedures or treatments may be billed independently from the screening. Some services as set out in this section may require prior authorization.

(6) For an EPSDT screening to be considered a completed reimbursable service, providers must perform, and document, all required components of the screening examination. Documentation of screening services performed must be retained for future review.

(7) All comprehensive screenings provided to individuals under age twenty-one (21) must be filed on HCFA-1500 using the appropriate preventive medicine procedure code or an appropriate Evaluation and Management code from the Current Procedural Terminology Manual (CPT) accompanied by the appropriate well-child exam diagnosis code.

(8) For EPSDT services in a school-based setting that are provided pursuant to an IEP, please refer to Part 103, Qualified Schools As Providers Of Health-Related Services, in OAC 317:30-5-1020 through 317:30-5-1028.

Disclaimer. The OHCA rules found on this Web site are unofficial. The official rules are published by the Oklahoma Secretary of State Office of Administrative Rules as Title 317 of the Oklahoma Administrative Code. To order an official copy of these rules, contact the Office of Administrative Rules at (405) 521-4911.