Humana creates operating policies and procedures to help maintain a high level of service to its members, network physicians and other healthcare professionals. Humana asks all healthcare professionals to review the following polices with office staff.
Medical record documentation review
Humana’s Quality Operations Compliance and Accreditation team conducts medical record documentation reviews (MRDRs) annually. These reviews monitor compliance with regulatory agencies. Good medical recordkeeping also helps promote the quality of care delivered to Humana-covered patients.
Other areas of Humana also can request and review medical records for specific operational and compliance needs. Depending on their purpose, such reviews may examine additional or different medical record elements and use different criteria.
Clinical practice guidelines
Humana bi-annually reviews and adopts clinical practice guidelines based on guidance from national organizations generally accepted as experts in their fields. View the clinical practice guidelines, or view the behavioral health guidelines. The current list contains guidelines for kidney disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, preventive care, behavioral health and other health issues. The specific links connect to the organizations that issued the guidelines. For example, the diabetes guideline link connects the user to the American Diabetes Association’s standard of care.
Humana case management and chronic care programs
Humana offers a variety of programs for patients who need care for complex medical situations or support for chronic conditions. Through these programs, care managers collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals to help patients continue to live at home safely while addressing their physical, behavioral, cognitive, social and financial needs.
Patients who enroll in a Humana case management or chronic care program are assigned a care manager who supports them by phone (eligible members also receive home visits). The manager’s goal is to anticipate patients’ needs and problems, encourage preventive care and prevent costly interventions. This goal is accomplished through home safety assessments and evaluations of patient medical, functional and psychosocial status.
Some chronic conditions addressed by Humana programs include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, hypertension, HIV/AIDS, renal disease, asthma and diabetes.
Case management and chronic care programs are available for Humana-covered patients with select Medicare, Medicaid, commercial and administrative-services-only coverage in all markets, except Puerto Rico.
Information about available care management programs and procedures for accessing services is available here and in the Provider Manual. Additionally, healthcare professionals can call the Humana Nurse Advice Line for assessment and referral to appropriate clinical program(s) at 1-800-491-4164, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time.
Members' rights and responsibilities
All Humana-covered patients have certain rights and responsibilities when being treated by Humana-contracted healthcare professionals. These rights are outlined in Humana's Rights and Responsibilities statement. Humana asks participating healthcare professionals to display a copy of the Rights and Responsibilities statement in their offices. A copy of the statement is available in the Provider Manual. A printed copy of the manual can be obtained by calling Provider Relations at 1-800-626-2741, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time.
Utilization management (UM)
The utilization management program helps guide patients with Humana coverage toward appropriate and cost-effective treatment options. It is important that physicians, other healthcare professionals and their patients know the following about the program:
- Humana does not reward healthcare professionals or other individuals for denying service or care.
- UM decision-making is based only on appropriateness of care and service and existence of coverage.
- Financial incentives for UM decision-makers do not encourage decisions that result in underutilization.
Physicians can obtain a copy of specific UM criteria by calling 1-800-448-6262, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time.