Medical Record Documentation Standards

Provider Type

  • Physicians
  • Participating Physician Groups (PPG) 
    (does not apply to HSP)
  • Hospitals
  • Ancillary

Participating providers are required to meet Health Net medical record documentation standards. The following documentation guidelines must be followed and all of the elements must be included in the medical records of members.

  • Format - The primary language and linguistic service needs of non- or limited-English proficient (LEP) or hearing impaired persons, individual personal biographical information, emergency contact, and identification of the member's assigned primary care physician (PCP)
  • Documentation - Medical record entries and corrections must be documented in accordance with acceptable legal medical documentation standards; allergies, chronic problems, and ongoing and continuous medications must be documented in a consistent and prominent location; all signed consent forms and the ofference of advance health care directive information and education to members ages 18 and older must be included
  • Routine record keeping - Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) regulations require that the refusal of interpreter services for a Health Net member must be documented in the medical record. Department of Insurance (CDI) regulations also require that, when a minor, or friend or family member interprets at a member's request, even when a qualified interpreter is offered and available at no charge, the offer and the refusal at each visit it occurs shall be documented in the member's medical record
  • Coordination of care - Notation of missed appointments, follow-up care and outreach efforts, practitioner review of diagnostic tests and consultations, history of present illness, progress and resolution of unresolved problems at subsequent visits, and consistent diagnosis and treatment plans
  • Preventive care
    • Adult preventive care - Notation of periodic health evaluations according to the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF); assessment of immunization status and the year of the immunization(s); tuberculosis screenings and testing; blood pressure and cholesterol screenings; Chlamydia screenings for sexually active females to age 25 or at risk; and mammograms and Pap tests for females
    • Pediatric preventive care - Notation of age-appropriate physical exams according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); immunizations specified and within AAP and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) requirements; anticipatory guidance for age-appropriate levels; vision, hearing, lead, and tuberculosis screenings and testing; and nutrition and dental assessments
    • Perinatal preventive care - Notation of prenatal care visits according to the most recent American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) standards, including a timely prenatal visit within the first trimester; postpartum visit three to eight weeks after delivery - this interval may be modified according to the needs of teh patient, such as HEDIS timlines of 21-56 days after delivery; domestic violence and abuse screenings; HIV, alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and genetic screenings; and assessments of infant feeding status