• Provider Information
  • Introduction
  • Scope of Services
  • Services Provided by Registered Nurses
    • Introduction
    • Supervision of Delegated Tasks
  • Services Provided by Licensed Practical Nurses
  • Classification of Nursing Services
  • Wisconsin Medicaid Certification Requirements
  • Requirements for Providing Ventilator-Dependent Services
    • Introduction
    • Demonstration Renewals
    • Age-Specific Requirements
  • Changes in Certification
• Rights and Responsibilities
  • Introduction
  • Universal Precautions
  • Unacceptable Practices
  • Fees Prohibited by Wisconsin Medicaid
  • Private Duty Nursing Requirements
  • Emergency and Back-Up Procedures
  • Verifying Recipient Eligibility
    • Introduction
    • Limited Benefit Categories
  • Distribution of Medicaid Information
  • Written Statement of Recipient Rights
  • Contracts with Recipient and/or Family
  • Terminating Service to a Recipient
  • Recipient Responsibilities
    • Arrangements with Nurses in Independent Practice
    • Scheduling Providers
    • Freedom from Liability for Covered Services
• Covered Services and Related Limitations
  • Introduction
  • Private Duty Nursing Benefit
  • Recipient Eligibility for Private Duty Nursing Services
    • Introduction
    • Ventilator-Dependent Recipients
    • Recipients Who Are Not Eligible for Private Duty Nursing Services
  • Hours of Care That Qualify as Private Duty Nursing Services
  • Private Duty Nursing Services Reimbursement Requirements
  • Place of Service for Private Duty Nursing Recipients
  • Providing Disposable Medical Supplies
  • Coordination Services for Ventilator-Dependent Recipients
    • Introduction
    • Documenting Coordination Services
    • Reimbursable Coordination Responsibilities
    • Change in Coordinators
  • Coordination Services for Recipients Not Ventilator-Dependent
    • Introduction
    • Coordination Services Documentation
    • Coordination Responsibilities
    • Change in Coordinators
  • Case Sharing
    • Introduction
    • Provider Responsibility
    • Case Sharing Documentation
  • Reimbursement Not Available
    • Introduction
    • Travel and Record-Keeping Time
• Documentation Requirements
  • Introduction
  • Required Information for Medical Record
    • Introduction
    • Physician Signature
  • Documentation Requirements of Supervising Nurses
  • Availability of Records to Others
    • Introduction
    • Record Maintenance After Termination as Wisconsin Medicaid Provider
• Plan of Care
  • Introduction
  • Plan of Care Documentation Methods
    • Introduction
    • Submitting Another Format for the Recipient's Plan of Care
  • Obtaining Plan of Care Forms
  • Developing the Plan of Care
  • Physician's Orders and Signature
    • Introduction
    • Start of Care
    • Certification Period
    • Verbal Orders
  • Plan of Care Requirements
  • Medical Necessity and the Plan of Care
  • Changes to the Plan of Care
• Prior Authorization
  • Introduction
  • Responsibility for Prior Authorization
  • Services Requiring Prior Authorization
    • Introduction
    • Limits on Authorized Services
  • Requesting Private Duty Nursing Hours
    • Introduction
    • Hours of Private Duty Nursing for Children
    • Requesting Pro Re Nata Hours
    • Flexible Use of Weekly Hours
  • Required Documentation for Prior Authorization Requests
    • Introduction
    • Prior Authorization Request Form
    • Private Duty Nursing Prior Authorization Acknowledgment
    • Prior Authorization Attachments
  • Submitting Prior Authorization Requests
  • Prior Authorization Effective Dates
  • Prior Authorization Responses
  • Prior Authorization Backdating
    • Introduction
    • Initial Requests
    • Extraordinary Circumstances
    • Subsequent Requests Will Not Be Backdated
    • Returned Requests
    • Amendment Requests
    • Denied Requests
  • Amending an Approved or Modified Prior Authorization Request
  • Enddating a Prior Authorization Request
  • Out-of-State Private Duty Nursing
    • Introduction
    • Out-of-State Prior Authorization Request Requirements
    • Procedure for Obtaining Authorization for Out-of-State Travel
• Claims Submission
  • Introduction
  • Claims Submission Options
    • Introduction
    • Paper Claims Submission
  • Follow-Up to Claims Submission
  • Billing Across Midnight
  • Daylight Savings Time
• Codes for Prior Authorization and Claims
  • Introduction
  • Revenue Codes
  • Date of Service
  • Procedure Codes
  • Modifiers
    • Introduction
    • Start-of-Shift Modifiers
    • Professional Status Modifiers
    • Case Coordination Modifier
  • Units of Service
    • Introduction
    • Rounding Guidelines
  • Prior Authorization Number
  • Diagnosis Code
• Appendix
• PDF

Prior Authorization

Prior authorization (PA) is approval of coverage of services by Wisconsin Medicaid before the provision of the services. Prior authorization is required for all private duty nursing (PDN) services before they are provided. Wisconsin Medicaid does not reimburse providers for services provided either before the grant date or after the expiration date indicated on the approved Prior Authorization Request Form (PA/RF), HCF 11018. If the provider delivers a service either before the grant date or after the expiration date of an approved PA, or provides a service that requires PA without obtaining PA, the provider is responsible for the cost of the service. In these situations, providers may not collect payment from the recipient.

When requesting PA for services, providers should note the following:

• Chapter HFS 107.02(3), Wis. Admin. Code, provides Wisconsin Medicaid with the authority to require PA for covered services. It also provides procedures for PA documentation and departmental review criteria used to authorize coverage and reimbursement.
• A request for PA does not guarantee approval.
• Prior authorization does not guarantee payment. To receive Medicaid reimbursement, provider and recipient eligibility on the date of service as well as all other Medicaid requirements must be met.
• Providers are required to submit PA requests separately from their certification materials.

For more information about general PA policies, obtaining PA forms and attachments, and submitting PA requests, refer to the Prior Authorization section of the All-Provider Handbook.

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