Ch. 241: Uniform Reporting System for Hospital Inpatient Data Sets and Hospital Outpatient Data Sets

SUMMARY: This chapter contains the provisions for filing hospital inpatient data sets and hospital outpatient service data sets.

The provisions include:

Identification of the organizations required to report;

Establishment of requirements for the content, format, method, and time frame for filing hospital inpatient data and hospital outpatient service data;

Establishment of standards for the data reported; and

Compliance provisions.

1. Definitions

Unless the context indicates otherwise, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:

A. Attending Provider. Attending Provider is the individual who has overall responsibility for the patient’s medical care and treatment reported in this claim.

B. Billing Provider. Provider submitting the bill.

C. Designee. "Designee" means an entity with which the MHDO has entered into an arrangement under which the entity performs data collection, validation and management functions for the MHDO and is strictly prohibited from releasing information obtained in such a capacity if the information is not authorized for release by the MHDO.

D. Carrier. "Carrier" means an insurance company licensed in accordance with 24-A M.R.S.A., including a health maintenance organization, a multiple employer welfare arrangement licensed pursuant to Title 24-A, chapter 81, a preferred provider organization, a fraternal benefit society, or a nonprofit hospital or medical service organization or health plan licensed pursuant to 24 M.R.S.A. An employer exempted from the applicability of 24-A M.R.S.A., chapter 56-A under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 United States Code, Sections 1001 to 1461 (1988) is not considered a carrier.

E. External Causes Codes. “External causes codes” in ICD-10 are codes designed to provide data for injury research and evaluation of injury prevention strategies

to 24 M.R.S.A. An employer exempted from the applicability of 24-A M.R.S.A., chapter 56-A under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 United States Code, Sections 1001 to 1461 (1988) is not considered a carrier.

E. External Causes Codes. “External causes codes” in ICD-10 are codes designed to provide data for injury research and evaluation of injury prevention strategies. These codes capture how the injury or health condition occurred (cause), the intent (unintentional or accidental; or intentional, such as suicide or assault), the place where the event occurred, the activity of the patient at the time of the event and the person’s status (e.g. civilian, military).

F. Hospital. "Hospital" means any acute care institution required to be licensed pursuant to 22 M.R.S.A., chapter 405.

G. Hospital Inpatient Data. "Hospital inpatient data" pertains to the information generated at the time of discharge which is associated with patients who are provided with room, board, and continuous nursing service based on a physician’s written order in an area of the hospital where patients generally stay more than twenty-four hours.

H. Hospital Outpatient Data. "Hospital outpatient data" pertains to the data generated for any patient visit that is not considered an inpatient admission, at any department of the hospital, regardless of its physical location. Hospital Outpatient Data also includes services provided by specialty groups or primary care practices when the hospital owns the data.

I. MHDO. "MHDO" means the Maine Health Data Organization.

J. M.R.S.A. “M.R.S.A.” means Maine Revised Statutes Annotated.

K. National Provider Identifier (NPI). The unique identification number assigned to the provider

L. Operating Physician. Operating Physician is the individual with the primary responsibility for performing the surgical procedures(s).

M. Rendering Provider. The Rendering Provider is the person or company (laboratory or other facility) who rendered the care.

N. Third-party Administrator

s Annotated.

K. National Provider Identifier (NPI). The unique identification number assigned to the provider

L. Operating Physician. Operating Physician is the individual with the primary responsibility for performing the surgical procedures(s).

M. Rendering Provider. The Rendering Provider is the person or company (laboratory or other facility) who rendered the care.

N. Third-party Administrator. “Third-party administrator” means any person licensed by the Maine Bureau of Insurance under 24-A M.R.S.A., chapter 18 who, on behalf of a plan sponsor, health care service plan, nonprofit hospital or medical service organization, health maintenance organization or insurer, receives or collects charges, contributions or premiums for, or adjusts or settles claims on residents of this State.

2. Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Service Data Sets Filing Description

Each hospital shall file with the MHDO or its designee a completed hospital inpatient data set and a completed hospital outpatient data set for every service provided to each patient. A completed hospital data set includes professional and facility services as defined in the appendices.

General Requirements

Codes

(a) Code Sources. The code sources listed and described in Appendix A are to be utilized with the inpatient and outpatient data file submissions.

(b) Specific and Unique Coding. Except for location of service codes and provider number, specific or unique coding systems shall not be permitted as part of the inpatient and outpatient data submissions.

ned in the appendices.

General Requirements

Codes

(a) Code Sources. The code sources listed and described in Appendix A are to be utilized with the inpatient and outpatient data file submissions.

(b) Specific and Unique Coding. Except for location of service codes and provider number, specific or unique coding systems shall not be permitted as part of the inpatient and outpatient data submissions.

(c) External Cause Codes. External Cause Codes shall be assigned for all initial treatments of an injury, poisoning, or adverse effect of drugs. If a patient is transferred to another facility for continued treatment, this facility shall also assign the appropriate External Cause Code.

Definitions for Required Data Elements. Unless otherwise specified, the definitions for the required data elements described in Appendix B-1 and Appendix C-1 are the same as those provided in the most current National Uniform Billing Data Element Specifications as developed by the National Uniform Billing Committee and approved by the State of Maine Uniform Billing Committee.

(3) Inpatient Data Filing. Data for all inpatient services of the hospital must be submitted based on the discharge date and filed under the MHDO provider code assigned to that hospital.

(4) Outpatient Data Filing. Data for all outpatient services of the hospital and all services provided by specialty groups or primary care practices must be filed in one or more outpatient data streams under the MHDO provider code assigned to that hospital. Every encounter that is populated with a designated subset of Place of Service codes must include a Location of Service code, internally created by the Hospital. Also, each hospital shall submit annually an updated Location of Service crosswalk, which includes unique location of service code, full location name, address, city, state, and zip code for those locations only.

ssigned to that hospital. Every encounter that is populated with a designated subset of Place of Service codes must include a Location of Service code, internally created by the Hospital. Also, each hospital shall submit annually an updated Location of Service crosswalk, which includes unique location of service code, full location name, address, city, state, and zip code for those locations only.

(5) Adjustment Charges. Adjustment charges and negative values are not to be reported in inpatient and outpatient data sets. The adjustment charges are reconciled to the individual line item for which the adjustment applies.

B. Detailed File Specifications

(1) Filled Fields. All fields shall be filled where applicable. Non-applicable text fields shall be space filled. Non-applicable numeric fields shall be zero filled and shall not include decimal points.

(2) Position. All text fields are to be left justified. All numeric fields are to be right justified.

(3) Individual Elements and Mapping. Individual data elements, data types, field lengths, and mapping locators (UB-04, CMS 1500, ANSI X12N 837) for each file type are presented in the following appendices:

(a) (i) Inpatient Data Specifications - Appendix B-1

(ii) Inpatient Data Mapping to National Standards Formats - Appendix B-2

(b) (i) Outpatient Data Specifications - Appendix C-1

(ii) Outpatient Data Mapping to National Standards Formats - Appendix C-2

3. Submission Requirements

A. File Format. The inpatient file and the outpatient file(s) are to be submitted to the MHDO or it designee as separate ASCII files with fixed length records. Each record shall be terminated with a carriage return line feed (ASCII 13, ASCII 10).

B. Filing Method. All data files must be encrypted using 256-bit AES (AES-256) encryption, prior to submission/uploading. This can be accomplished using various commercially available software packages. Data files shall be submitted via electronic transmission using the Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS)

Each record shall be terminated with a carriage return line feed (ASCII 13, ASCII 10).

B. Filing Method. All data files must be encrypted using 256-bit AES (AES-256) encryption, prior to submission/uploading. This can be accomplished using various commercially available software packages. Data files shall be submitted via electronic transmission using the Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS). E-mail attachments shall not be accepted.

C. File Editing. All data files must be processed through the MHDO designee’s system. Corrections must be applied to the data files before the data are transmitted.

D. Filing Specifications. Each hospital shall file all applicable data sets to the MHDO in accordance with the electronic specifications for submission of claims to Maine’s designated Medicare intermediary.

E. Filing Periods. Each inpatient discharge or outpatient service record must be filed no later than 90 days following the calendar quarter in which the discharge or service occurred.

F. Replacement of Data Files. No hospital may amend its data submission more than one year after the end of the quarter in which the discharge or outpatient service occurred unless it can be established by the hospital that exceptional circumstances occurred. Any resubmission of data after the elapse of the one year period must be approved by the MHDO.

G. Rejection of Files. Failure to conform to the requirements of subsections A, B, C or D of this section shall result in the rejection of the data file(s). Rejected files must be resubmitted in the appropriate corrected form to the MHDO within 15 days of notification.

4. Standards for Data; Notification; Response

A. Standards. The MHDO shall evaluate each inpatient file and each outpatient file submission in accordance with the following standards:

(1) The code for each data element identified in Appendices B-1 and C-1 shall be included within eligible values for the field;

esubmitted in the appropriate corrected form to the MHDO within 15 days of notification.

4. Standards for Data; Notification; Response

A. Standards. The MHDO shall evaluate each inpatient file and each outpatient file submission in accordance with the following standards:

(1) The code for each data element identified in Appendices B-1 and C-1 shall be included within eligible values for the field;

(2) Coding values indicating "data not available" "data unknown" or the equivalent shall not be used for individual data elements unless specified as an eligible value for the field;

(3) Outpatient data sets shall have Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes and Health Care Common Procedural Coding System (HCPCS) codes reported for specific revenue centers. The list of revenue centers requiring CPT and HCPCS codes shall be provided via the MHDO’s designee; and

(4) CPT and HCPCS codes shall be assigned to the correct revenue centers.

B. Notification. Upon completion of the evaluation, the MHDO or its designee shall promptly notify each hospital whose data sets do not satisfy the standards for any filing period. This notification shall identify the specific file and the data fields and elements that do not satisfy the standards.

C. Response. Each hospital notified under Subsection B shall respond within 32 days of the notification by making the required changes and resubmitting, if necessary, to satisfy the standards.

5. Public Access

Information collected, processed and/or analyzed under this rule shall be subject to release to the public or retained as confidential information in accordance with 22 M.R.S.A. Sec. 8707 and Code of Maine Rules 90-590, Chapter 120: Release of Information to the Public, unless prohibited by state or federal law.

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changes and resubmitting, if necessary, to satisfy the standards.

5. Public Access

Information collected, processed and/or analyzed under this rule shall be subject to release to the public or retained as confidential information in accordance with 22 M.R.S.A. Sec. 8707 and Code of Maine Rules 90-590, Chapter 120: Release of Information to the Public, unless prohibited by state or federal law.

6. Extension or Waiver to Data Submission Requirements

If a hospital, due to circumstances beyond its control, is temporarily unable to meet the terms and conditions of this chapter, a written request must be made to the Compliance Officer of the MHDO as soon as it is practicable after the hospital has determined that an extension or waiver is required. The written request shall include: the specific requirement to be extended or waived; an explanation of the cause; the methodology proposed to eliminate the necessity of the extension or waiver; and the time frame required to come into compliance. If the Compliance Officer does not approve the requested extension or waiver, the hospital making the request may submit a written request appealing the decision to the MHDO Board. The appeal shall be heard by the MHDO Board at the next regularly scheduled meeting following receipt of the request at the MHDO.

7. Compliance

Failure to file, report, or correct in accordance with the provisions of this chapter may be considered a violation under 22 M.R.S.A. Sec. 8705-A and Code of Maine Rules 90-590, Chapter 100: Enforcement Procedures.