Skip to Main Content

Hospice Provider Quick Reference Guide

Important Contact Information

  • Provider Services      
    • All products   
    • 1-844-477-8313        
    • Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern
  • Pharmacy Services   
    • All products   
    • 1-800-460-8988, option 2    
    • 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • Member Services      
    • MMA, SMI, LTC
    • 1-866-796-0530        
    • Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern
  • Member Services      
    • CWSP
    • 1-855-463-4100       
    • Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern

Verifying Member Eligibility

These suggestions are not a guarantee of coverage.

  • Verify member eligibility by using the Sunshine Health Secure Provider Portal.
  • Using the portal, any registered provider is able to quickly check member eligibility by indicating the date of service, member name and date of birth or the Medicaid ID number and date of birth.
    • Ensure you’re selecting the correct plan type.
  • Alternatively, you can call Provider Services at 1-844-477-8313. Supply the member’s name and date of birth or the member’s Medicaid identification number and date of birth.

    Authorizations

    Prior authorization is required for certain services. To determine which services require authorization, please refer to our Pre-Auth Check Tool.

    Prior-authorization requests are processed by Sunshine Health’s Utilization Management (UM) Department.

    • Standard requests: Determination within 7 calendar days of receipt of request.
    • Urgent requests: Please call 1-844-477-8313. Urgent requests are made when the member or his/her physician believes that waiting for a decision under the standard timeframe could place the enrollee’s life, health, or ability to regain maximum function in serious jeopardy.

    Submit authorization requests via one of the following:

    Note: Find the Treatment/Service Request Forms for fax submission online.

    Utilization Management

    Utilization Management Phone number: 1-844-477-8313 and follow prompts for services required.

    • Standard hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.
    • Weekend and After-Hours on Call-Numbers: (all products): 1-844-477-8313.

    Claims

    Core Services

    The following services, included in the per diem payment, must be provided in accordance with 42 CFR 418.64:

    • Counseling services
    • Medical social services
    • Nursing services
    • Physician services

    Non-Core Services

    The following services, included in the per diem payment, must be provided when specified in the recipient’s plan of care and in accordance with 42 CFR 418.70-78 and 42 CFR 418.106-108:

    • Hospice aide services
    • Medical supplies and durable medical equipment
    • Pharmacy services
    • Therapy services
    • Volunteer services
    • Any other item or service specified in the plan of care as reasonable and necessary for the palliation and management of the recipient’s terminal illness or related condition in accordance with 42 CFR 418.202

    Hospice Services in a Nursing or Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID)

    • Florida Medicaid reimburses providers for nursing facility and ICF/IID room and board in addition to the per diem payment when a resident recipient elects hospice.

    Physician Services

    Florida Medicaid reimburses for the following separately, in addition to the per diem payment, in accordance with the applicable Florida Medicaid fee schedule(s) when rendered by a practitioner licensed within the scope of their practice:

    • Consultations provided by a physician whose opinion or advice regarding the evaluation or management of a specific problem is requested by another physician or the hospice
    • Hospital services for the evaluation and management of initial hospital admission, subsequent care, and discharge services
    • Nurse practitioner services in accordance with 42 CFR 418.304(2)
    • Office and home visits

    For more information regarding covered services refer to AHCA at Hospice Coverage Policy.

    Description of the Specialty: An entity that provides a continuum of palliative and supportive care for the terminally ill patient and patient's family.

    Billing: The following codes are included below for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice. Inclusion or exclusion of a code does not constitute or imply subscriber coverage or provider reimbursement. The codes listed below are not a complete list. Please refer to your contract with Sunshine Health to determine all contracted/covered codes for each membership group.

    Billing Codes and Modifiers

    Service Type

    Units of Measurements

    Procedure code

    Modifier

    Procedure Code Description

    Units

    Hospice Service

    - Routine

    Per Hospice Admission:*

    Days 0-60 = High Rate Days 61+ = Low Rate

    0651

     

    Routine home care

    Unit

    Hospice Service

    - Continuous

    Per unit

    0652

     

    Continuous home care

    Unit

    Hospice Service

    - Service Intensity Add- On

    15-minute units up to 4 hours total per day, combined **

    0551***

     

    Service Intensity Add- On (SIA) -

    Medical Social Service Visit During

    Routine Home Care

    Unit

    Hospice Service

    - Inpatient

    Per unit

    0658

     

    Room and board (nursing facility)

    Unit

    *To assist in claim adjudication, providers need to bill days 0-60 and 61+ on separate lines.

    **SIA (0551/G0299, 0561/G0155) care hours are combined and cannot exceed four hours total per day. Hours provided concurrently count separately.

    ***Florida Medicaid reimburses for SIA (0551/G0299, 0561/G0155) care in addition to routine home care (0651) during the last seven days of an eligible recipient's life.

    Please refer to the Medicaid Fee Schedule and the Billing and Procedure Coding Guide for a list of approved modifier codes.

    Important Links

    Timely Claim Submission

    Providers must submit claims in a timely manner as indicated in the following table.

    Timely Claim Submission

    Initial Claim*

    Reconsiderations or Claim Dispute**

    Coordination of Benefits***

    Participating

    Non-Participating

    Participating

    Non-Participating

    Participating

    Non-Participating

    180 days

    365 days

    90 days

    180 days

    90 days

    90 days

    *In an initial claim, days are calculated from the date of service to the date received by Sunshine Health.

    ** In a reconsideration or claim dispute, days are calculated from the date of the explanation of payment/correspondence issued by Sunshine Health to the date the reconsideration is received by Sunshine Health.

    *** For coordination of benefits, days are calculated from the date of explanation of payment from the primary payer to the date received by Sunshine Health.

    Process for Claims Reconsiderations and Disputes

    All requests for corrected claims or reconsiderations/claim disputes must be received within 90 days from the date of the original explanation of payment or denial.

    Prior processing will be upheld for corrected claims or claim disputes received following the 90-day period unless there is a qualifying circumstance and appropriate documentation to support the qualifying circumstance.

    Qualifying circumstances may include:

    • A catastrophic event that substantially interferes with normal business operation of the provider or damage or destruction of the provider’s business office or records by a natural disaster
    • Provider documentation showing member refused or was unable to provide member identification card and provider was unaware the member was eligible for services at the time services were rendered

    Claim Payment Disputes

    (Related to untimely filing, incidental procedure, unlisted procedure code)

    Before Oct. 1, 2021
    WellCare Health Plans Claim Payment Disputes
    P.O. Box 31370
    Tampa, FL 33631-3370

    On or After Oct. 1, 2021
    Sunshine Health
    Attn: Adjustments/Reconsiderations/Disputes
    P.O. Box 3070
    Farmington, MO 63640-3823

    Provider on Behalf of Self – Medical Appeals

    • Providers can request an appeal for the following types of denials:
      • No authorization claims denials.
      • Authorization denials due to member not meeting medical necessity authorization denials and medical necessity, in addition to, benefits exhausted and non-covered procedures.

    Before Oct. 1, 2021
    WellCare Health Plans Claim Payment Disputes
    P.O. Box 31370
    Tampa, FL 33631-3370

    On on After Oct. 1, 2021
    Sunshine Health
    Attn: Adjustments/Reconsiderations/Disputes
    P.O. Box 3070
    Farmington, MO 63640-3823

    Provider Changes

    Adding Providers to Existing Group or Practice

    • A contracted medical or behavioral health practice that would like to add a practitioner should email all relevant documentation to practitioneradds@centene.com and include the following:
      • List of Affiliated Providers (LOAP)/Practitioner Roster (for additions only)
      • Disclosure of Ownership Form
      • Access our LOAP/Practitioner Roster Form (Excel) to utilize as a guide when submitting these types of requests.
    • The Practitioner Adds Mailbox is equipped with an Auto Response Email to alert the submitter that their request has been received.

    Demographic Updates and Changes

    • A contracted medical or behavioral health practice that would like to update or make any changes to their demographic information should direct their request to SunshineProviderRelations@SunshineHealth.com.
    • Please include all detailed information to assist in making the appropriate changes.
    • Providers can also initiate changes like this by visiting our Secure Provider Portal.
      • Select “Modify Demographic Information about a specific TIN.”
    • Providers can also submit their request via the Contact form.

    Provider Terminations

    Providers should refer to their contracts for specific information about terminating their contracts with Sunshine Health.

    In general, providers are required to notify the health plan within 90 days of terminating a provider or providers from a group or contract. Providers who want to terminate an individual practitioner within a practice or group should:

    1. Provide the termination information on office letterhead and include the practitioner’s name, tax identification number, NPI, termination date and membership transfer information, if applicable; AND
    2. Email the request to SunshineProviderRelations@SunshineHealth.com and notify your Provider Relations Representative.

    Remittances and PaySpan

    Access explanation of payment statements (EOPs), change bank account information register for electronic funds transfers.

    If you are currently receiving paper checks and would like to register for EFT, please view a copy of a current paper check. It should contain a Payee ID. This is the Plan Number which will be needed when registering.

    Case Management

    Our Case Management team can be reached Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the phone numbers below. For after hours or weekend assistance, use option 7.

    • Medicaid (MMA), Serious Mental Illness Specialty Plan (SMI) and Long-Term Care (LTC): 1-866-796-0530, option 2.
    • Child Welfare Specialty Plan (CWSP): 1-855-463-4100, option 2.

    24-Hour Nurse Advice Line

    The Nurse Advice Line can assist providers with checking member eligibility. It can also connect members to telemedicine for urgent care visits. Hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    • MMA, SMI and LTC: 1-866-796-0530 and follow prompts for Nurse Advice Line, Option 1, then Option 3, then Option 7.
    • CWSP: 1-855-463-4100 and follow prompts for Nurse Advice Line, Option 1, then Option 2, then Option 7.

    Telemedicine

    • Members have 24/7 access to receive services virtually through our telehealth vendor, Teladoc. Members can also download the Teladoc app or call 1-800-TELADOC.
    • Providers may furnish and receive payment for covered, eligible telemedicine services in accordance with this policy and the provider’s scope of practice.

    Additional Resources

    Access and Availability Timeframe Standards

    Sunshine Health establishes and assesses compliance with appointment wait times for various types of visits. Please view our Access and Availability Timeframe Standards.

    Find A Provider (FAP) Tool

    If you need assistance locating a specialist or facility for a member, please visit our Find a Provider Tool. Here you will be able to search by provider name, NPI and specialty type.

    Provider Engagement Account Manager

    Use the Find My Account Manager tool.

    Community Resources

    Sunshine Health Connects links members and caregivers in need with local programs and supports.

    For Providers 

    Stay up to date on provider communication by visiting our For Providers landing page and Provider News page.

    Vendors 

    For contact information, visit the Vendors web page.