General Quick Reference Guide (QRG)
This general guide is designed to be a living resource that gives providers the most current information, essential highlights and step-by-step instructions for navigating a variety of health plan functions and finding the support and resources they need. Providers should utilize this educational guide to supplement information outlined in our Provider Manuals.
This Quick Reference Guide (QRG) covers the following products:
- Sunshine Health Medicaid (MMA)
- Comprehensive Long Term Care (LTC)
- Sunshine Health Pathway to Shine Child Welfare Specialty Plan (CWSP)
- Sunshine Health Mindful Pathways Serious Mental Illness Specialty Plan (SMI)
- Sunshine Health Power to Thrive HIV/AIDS Specialty Plan (HIV)
- Children’s Medical Services (CMS) Health Plan
Utilize these methods to verify 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 can quickly check member eligibility using two datasets:
- The member’s date of service, member name and date of birth
- The member’s Medicaid identification number and date of birth
- Note: The correct plan type must be selected
Coordination of Benefits
- Member Coordination of Benefits (COB) information can also be found via the Secure Provider Portal.
- Providers can also call Provider Services at 1-844-477-8313. Be prepared to share the member’s name and date of birth or the member’s Medicaid identification number and date of birth.
Prior authorization (PA) is required for certain services. To determine which services require authorization, please refer to our Pre-Auth Check Tool.
Sunshine Health
Use Sunshine Health’s secure portal to check a member’s eligibility, verify benefits, submit a referral to Case Management, submit claims, submit claim reconsiderations, etc.
- Sunshine Health Secure Member/Caregiver Portal
Availity Essentials
Many of the same functions described above can be completed using the Availity portal. We will inform providers when new functionalities are released.
- Availity Portal: Availity Essentials
- Availity Client Services: If you need assistance, call 1-800-AVAILITY (1-800-282-4548). Assistance Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.
Prior-authorization requests are processed by Sunshine Health’s Utilization Management (UM) Department. To determine which services require authorization, please refer to our Pre-Auth Check Tool.
- Standard Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.
- Weekend and After-Hours on Call-Numbers: 1-844-477-8313.
- Medical Fax: 1-866-796-0526
- Pharmacy Services Fax: 1-833-546-1507
- Note: Utilize these Treatment/Service Request Forms for fax submission online.
- Standard requests: Determination within five calendar days of receipt of request.
- Urgent requests: Please call 1-844-477-8313. Urgent requests are made when the member’s 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.
Our Case Management team can be reached Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. via the phone numbers below. For after hours or weekend assistance, use option 7.
Sunshine Health (Medicaid)
- MMA, SMI and HIV: 1-866-796-0530, option 2
- CWSP: 1-855-463-4100, option 2
- CMS: 1-866-799-5321, option 2
- After Hours or Weekends, option 7
Member Referrals to Case Management
Referrals can be submitted via the Secure Provider Portal under the “Referrals” tab of the Member’s Record. After successful submission, a message will appear confirming this.
Sunshine Health Payer ID: 68069
Important Links
Note: Medicaid providers must follow the AHCA enrollment and billing requirements. For more information, consult this Sunshine Health guide.
Crossover Claims
These providers when billing Medicaid services on the CMS-1500 claim form must complete and submit UB-04 claim forms to receive reimbursement from Medicaid when billing Medicare-Medicaid crossover claims:
- Federally Qualified Health Centers
- Independent Therapists
- Rural Health Clinics
For all Medicare-Medicaid Crossover claim questions, please review the Florida Medicaid Provider Reimbursement Handbook (PDF) to ensure appropriate submission.
The filing limit for Medicare claims crossing over to Medicaid is the greater of 36 months from the date of service or 12 months from Medicare’s adjudication date.
Timely Claim Submission
Providers must submit claims in a timely manner as indicated by the following table.
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. Providers have the option to file a second-level reconsideration/claims dispute. Second-level requests must be received within 90 days from the date indicated on the decision correspondence from the first-level request.
Quick Tip: Reconsiderations can be submitted via the Secure Provider Portal in response to an underpaid or denied claim.
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 a natural disaster that results in damage or destruction of the provider’s business office or records.
- Provider documentation showing that a member refused or was unable to provide member identification card and that the provider was unaware the member was eligible for services at the time they were rendered.
Claim Payment Disputes
This includes untimely filing, incidental procedure and unlisted procedure code.
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.
Sunshine Health
Attn: Adjustments/Reconsiderations/Disputes
P.O. Box 3070
Farmington, MO 63640-3823
For more information about the process, visit the Medicaid Member and Provider Appeals Processes Guide
Overpayment Refund Address
When a facility, group or practice identifies an overpayment, a refund should be sent to the address below and include all applicable claims for which the refund is being submitted.
Sunshine Health
Attn: Centene Mgmt. Co - Sunshine State Health Plan
P.O Box 947986
Atlanta, GA 30394-7986
If you are currently receiving paper checks and would like to switch to Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), please register with Payspan.
Contact Payspan via the following channels:
Note: If your address is incorrect in PaySpan, please update it using the Provider Demographic Updates Tool or by calling Provider Services at 1-844-877-8313.
We encourage providers to keep their demographic information up-to-date using our online tool.
Providers can use our online tools to add a new practitioner or facility, start the credentialing process or update your Affiliated Providers (LOAP)/Practitioner Roster.
Enrollment Tools
Credentialing Tools
Note: Practitioners should not begin servicing Sunshine Health members until they have received a Provider Enrollment Confirmation letter from Sunshine Health’s Provider Enrollment department. Our enrollment process can take up to 60 days to complete. We will not backdate effective dates due to services provided ahead of the practitioner’s enrollment.
Provider Terminations
Providers can use the Provider Demographic Updates Form to submit these requests.
Medicaid (MMA)
- Provider Services: All Products
- Call: 1-844-477-8313 (All products)
- Hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern
- Pharmacy Services: All Products
- Call: 1-800-460-8988, option 2
- Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Member Services: MMA & SMI
- Call: 1-866-796-0530
- Hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern
- Member Services: CWSP
- Call:1-855-463-4100
- Hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern
- Member Services: HIV
- Call: 1-866-796-0530
- Hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern
- Member Services: CMS
- Call: 1-866-799-5321
- Hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern
Learn about our Provider Engagement Account Managers (PEAMs) and how they can help you and your practice. Our teams are regionally based and directly engage with parents and providers in the community. Our PEAMs can meet with you in-person or virtually to assist with a variety of services designed to support you and your child’s success. The following channels will help you contact Sunshine Health and stay informed about the latest policies, procedures and news:
- Provider Services: Call 1-844-477-8313
- Secure Provider Portal: Check member eligibility, submit claims and more.
- Provider Engagement: Use the Find Your Account Manager tool to find the Provider Engagement Account Manager (PEAM) supporting your specialty and region.
- Provider News: Bookmark Provider News to keep up with the latest updates.
- Provider Newsflash: Subscribe to our e-newsletter to get regular updates.
- Provider Resources: Visit Manuals, Forms and Resources to find provider manuals, important forms, scheduling standards and other resources.
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/LTC/HIV:1-866-796-0530 and follow prompts for Nurse Advice Line, then option 1, option 3 and option 7.
- CWSP: 1-855-463-4100 and follow prompts for Nurse Advice Line, then option 1, option 2 and option 7.
- CMS: 1-866-799-5321 and follow prompts for Nurse Advice Line, then option 1 and option 7.
If you are struggling with alcohol or drug use, experiencing ongoing anxiety or depression or undergoing a crisis, contact the 988 Lifeline using the options most convenient to you. Services are confidential, free of charge and available 24/7, 365 days a year.
- 988 Lifeline
- Call or Text: 988
- Chat with a Trained Counselor
Training
Sunshine Health offers a wealth of training opportunities. Providers and their staff can register for our live Provider Town Halls, which are held virtually and in-person; view videos of past webinars; or take self-paced online classes.
Telehealth
Members have 24/7 access to receive services virtually through our telehealth vendors below. Providers may furnish and receive payment for covered, eligible telehealth services in accordance with this policy and the provider’s scope of practice.
Access and Availability Timeframe Standards
Sunshine Health establishes and assesses provider compliance with appointment wait times for various types of visits. View the Access and Availability Timeframe Standards to find the guidelines that apply to your organization.
Find A Provider (FAP) Tool
This tool can help members find a specialist or facility. Search by provider name, National Provider Identifier (NPI) and specialty type.
Community Resources
Links members and caregivers in need with local programs and support.
Vendors
Visit our vendor resource page to find subcontractors and vendors and how to contact them.