June 2023
SoonerCare eligibility reviews are ongoing. Those members who are no longer eligible are having their coverage ended in phases over the next 6 months. If any of your patients are among the ineligible, their SoonerCare coverage will be ending or may have already ended.
It is important that you continue to check eligibility for your patients. Eligibility must be verified on the service date before services are rendered. When checking eligibility on the provider portal, a single service date must be used; date span searches will not provide accurate information. If further education is needed or questions arise, please call the Provider Helpline at 800-522-0114 or email us at SoonerCareEducation@okhca.org.
Want to help shape OHCA’s plans for quality improvement? Weigh in on the SooonerSelect Quality Strategy.
The strategy outlines how OHCA will meet the aims of the SoonerSelect program through the assessment of the quality and appropriateness of care via performance improvement and measurement, state standard compliance monitoring, and external quality review.
View the draft update here. Submit comments to Quality@okhca.org.
As we wrap up National Men’s Health Month, there’s no better time for your male patients to turn their attention to quitting tobacco. The journey to quit requires drive, support and resources. Fortunately, the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline provides free assistance to men who are ready to quit.
Support from the Helpline comes in many different forms, such as coach support, text messages, online resources and more. They also offer free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), including patches, gum or lozenges. Patients who combine NRT with additional Helpline support double their odds of successfully quitting.
Getting the Conversation Started
The Helpline’s complimentary collateral can start the quitting conversation. OHCA and the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) have partnered to provide you with tools for your office. Promote the Helpline with pens, badge reels, clipboards and more. Order your free Helpline materials today.
OHCA recently announced the medical and children's specialty providers for SoonerSelect. To learn more about SoonerSelect — who the contracted entities are, when the plans begin and what populations are affected — visit OHCA's SoonerSelect web page. Also, be sure and browse the Provider FAQ page and download the guide.
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OHCA has a page devoted to dental services. It has links to policy, the dental fee schedule, dental forms, and other useful information. In addition, by logging into the provider portal, you are able to view items such as prior authorization status. |
Oklahoma ABLE Tech is the provider and collector of gently used durable medical equipment for OHCA's SoonerCare members. They recently announced a new partnership with the Lawton Public Library. The library will serve as a donation site for individuals to drop off their gently used, durable medical equipment that is no longer needed.
This is the first donation location in this part of the state. The Lawton Public Library will be a donation site at the main library address, and individuals can drop off equipment during library hours. Donation drives will also be frequently promoted throughout the Lawton community.
Visit ABLE Tech's website for a full list of accepted DME, donation locations or to learn of other ways for no longer used DME to be returned to OHCA.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, smokers are 30-40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than non-smokers. SoonerCare offers two benefits to assist members with these challenges (tobacco cessation medications and diabetes self-management services). Click the following links SoonerQuit (oklahoma.gov) and DSMES/DPP (oklahoma.gov) to learn more and refer your patients today.
In May 2023, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) updated the guidelines for care and management of atopic dermatitis using topical treatments in adults. The most recent AAD comprehensive guideline was completed in 2014 and included both adult and pediatric recommendations with specific updates planned. In the 2023 update, they noted topical therapies as the mainstay of treatment, despite newer systemic drugs on the market.
Strong recommendations include:
- Moisturizers, without preference for active ingredient or type of agent
- Topical calcineurin inhibitors (e.g., tacrolimus, pimecrolimus)
- Topical corticosteroids (e.g., fluticasone, hydrocortisone)
- Topical PDE-4 inhibitors (e.g., crisaborole)
- Topical JAK inhibitors (e.g., ruxolitinib)
Conditional recommendations include:
- Bathing, with or without additives
- Wet wrap therapy, with topical corticosteroids preferred over moisturizers
- Avoiding topical antimicrobials, antihistamines, and antiseptics (e.g., mupirocin, doxepin and triclosan)
Visit the SoonerCare topical formulation page for more information regarding SoonerCare coverage and prior authorization criteria of topical therapies for atopic dermatitis. For additional SoonerCare medication coverage-related questions, please contact the Pharmacy Help Desk at 405-522-6205, option 4, or toll-free at 800-522-0114, option 4.
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