1. We have selected Echo Health as our payment vendor to assist us in expediting payment and remittance transactions. If you have an existing relationship with Echo Health for other carrier and TPA reimbursements, your current Echo payment method will be implemented for this account. Should you choose to change your reimbursement method, please visit https://echovcards.com/letter or call 800-311-9864.
2. Security Alert: In order to keep up with on-going Security measures, it is important to protect and never share your password. For your own privacy, please consider changing your password every 30 days.
3. Viewing the claims of others, including non-minor family members, without their permission is illegal.
4. The new shingles vaccine (Shingrix) is covered by the Funds, even if the beneficiary has received Zostavax in the past. The vaccine can be obtained at the doctor’s office or at the local pharmacy.
5. Flu Shots Save Lives. Please encourage UMWA Funds beneficiaries to receive their yearly flu shot.
6. UMWA Health and Retirement Funds now offers its Providers, Real Time Hosted Data Payer Services for Eligibility Status (270/271 EDI Transactions) and Claim Status (276/277 EDI Transactions) through Change Healthcare (formerly Emdeom). For those Providers who are interested in this service, please contact Change Healthcare’s Provider Sales Team directly at 877-363-3666.
7. NOTICE OF CHANGE IN THE SUBMISSION OF BLACK LUNG CLAIMS:
The UMWA Funds has paid claims for services and supplies for the treatment of pneumoconiosis (black lung) for beneficiaries who have black lung benefits through the Department of Labor (DOL). The Funds processed and paid these claims to include both the DOL and Funds covered benefits in one payment.
Beginning October 1, 2012, the arrangement between the Funds and DOL will end. This means claims for treatment of black lung received on or after that date (regardless of date of service) for beneficiaries with black lung benefits from the DOL will need to be sent to the DOL Black Lung Program. This change will NOT affect claims for beneficiaries who have black lung benefits from programs other than the DOL Black Lung Program. The Funds will send notice to providers who have submitted claims in the past twelve months who will be affected by this change.
The DOL will be sending new black lung cards to beneficiaries affected by this change. The beneficiaries will be asked to present this card to health care providers each time they receive services. This card will contain information on registering as a black lung provider, billing information and contact information for the DOL Black Lung Program.
The Funds will continue to process claims for services and supplies not related to black lung. A separate claim should be submitted to the Funds claim processing address you currently use for these services and supplies.
NOTE: Funds DME Network Providers. There is NO change for you in submitting claims to DOL. Continue with established policy.
IMPORTANT BILLING NOTICE:
Effective October 1, 2012, your billing instructions may change for claims that are submitted for your Black Lung patients. For the most recent billing updates from the DOL Black Lung program, please log on to:
http://owcp.dol.acs-inc.comDOL Black Lungs’ latest billing developments are posted on the right side on the page. Of particular interest is the DCMWC billing update regarding how DOL Black Lung will reimburse physicians based on the 1st diagnosis on the HCFA-1500