Clinical Criteria for Medical Management Decision Making
Clinical policies are one set of guidelines used to assist in administering health plan benefits, either by prior authorization or payment rules. They include, but are not limited to, policies relating to medical necessity clinical criteria for the evaluation and treatment of specific conditions and evolving medical technologies and procedures. Clinical policies help identify whether services are medically necessary based on information found in generally accepted standards of medical practice; peer-reviewed medical literature; government agency/program approval status; evidence-based guidelines and positions of leading national health professional organizations; views of physicians practicing in relevant clinical areas affected by the policy; and other available clinical information.
Clinical polices do not constitute a description of plan benefits nor can they be construed as medical advice. These policies provide guidance as to whether or not certain services or supplies are cosmetic, medically necessary or appropriate, or experimental and investigational. The policies do not constitute authorization or guarantee coverage for a particular procedure, device, medication, service, or supply. In the event a conflict of information is present between a clinical policy, member benefits, legal and regulatory mandates and requirements, Medicare or Medicaid (as applicable) and any plan document under which a member is entitled to covered services, the plan document and regulatory requirements take precedence. Plan documents include, but are not limited to, subscriber contracts, summary plan documents and other coverage documents.
Clinical policies may have either a Health Net Health Plan or a “Centene” heading. Health Net utilizes InterQual® criteria for those medical technologies, procedures or pharmaceutical treatments for which a specific health clinical policy does not exist. InterQual is a nationally recognized evidence-based decision support tool. Clinical policies are reviewed annually and more frequently as new clinical information becomes available.