Appendix A text: The maximum service authorization duration is 6 months, and in accordance with the ISP’s effective from and through dates. The ISP Parts 1-4 and provider’s Part 5 and a CMS 485, signed by a physician/nurse practitioner and a schedule of the proposed delivery of hours are to be submitted by the support coordinator in WaMS with supporting documentation/justification for this service. Services are authorized for the length of the physician’s orders up to 6 months.

enCircle comment: This process is already very tedious, and we have ongoing challenges with receiving orders from Physicians and Nurse Practitioners in a timely manner. Our nurses spend significant time calling and faxing physicians. Changing this to every six months creates an even greater burden on an already overworked and underfunded nursing workforce. The medical field is generally maxed out due to the on-going stress of the pandemic, asking physicians and medical offices to provide more frequent documentation seems like an unnecessary burden on them as well.