RSB shall not pay for any vocational rehabilitation service unless RSB authorized the service before it was provided. Authorization may be done verbally, but if so it should immediately be recorded in the case narrative. The authorization form should then be completed as soon as possible, but must have an issue date prior to the actual start date of services.
Following a verbal authorization, or when any authorization is given that must be typed and processed prior to providing to a vendor, authorizations may be "post-dated" or typed following the date the authorization was given within the following time limits:
A counselor or teacher may sign an authorization prepared up to 15 calendar days following the service start date
Any authorization prepared in excess of 15 calendar days following the service start date will require an approval signature by the district supervisor
Any authorization prepared more than 30 calendar days after the service start date will require an approval signature by both the district supervisor and the supervisor of field operations
A request for payment for services provided without prior approval may not be approved at the district office. In order to authorize a service that was begun without prior approval, the authorization must go through the exception process outlined in Chapter 26 of the VR Policy Manual. Such an exception must contain information that shows: 1) the service requested is a planned IPE service; and 2) that the case manager agrees that the service would have been provided if they were informed by the client in a timely manner.
Staff should authorize therapy by both psychologists and psychiatrists at UCR. As in the past, psychiatrists will be paid based on the CPT code submitted on the invoice and psychologists will be paid at our current established rate. Staff may need to inform vendors to invoice at their "usual, customary fee" instead of the rate authorized for any authorizations that have already been issued to psychologists using an incorrect cost per hour. (Per memorandum dtd 9-2-99, Subject: Authorization and Payment for Psychological and Psychiatric Services)
A vendor who provides services that are authorized by RSB must agree not to charge or accept any payment from an applicant or eligible individual or from a member of the applicant’s or eligible individual’s family unit unless the amount of the charge or payment is previously known to and approved by RSB. 361.50(e)