Provider Notice issued 03/04/08

Changes to the Sexual Assault Emergency Treatment Program

This notice advises Illinois hospitals of changes to the department’s Sexual Assault Emergency Treatment Program.  These changes are a result of amendments to the Illinois Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act (410 ILCS 70/), effective January 1, 2008.

The Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is pleased to announce that beginning January 1, 2008, hospitals will be able to register sexual assault survivors in an on-line registry system, free of charge.  This process will allow survivors to receive follow-up care from any community provider of their choice for 90 days following the initial hospital visit.  Using the new process, other providers such as physicians, physicians’ assistants, advance practice nurses, pharmacies, laboratories, and hospitals providing follow-up care will bill the department directly.  This process will also make it easier for patients to obtain follow-up care.

The registration will be entered during the initial emergency room visit using the department’s Medical Electronic Data Interchange (MEDI) System.  This Web site is secure; patient privacy will be ensured.  General information regarding how to use the MEDI system can be found on the department’s Web site at:

http://www.myhfs.illinois.gov/

Although the sexual assault survivor registration is not mandatory, it will allow the survivor to obtain follow-up care from the provider of their choice.  If the sexual assault survivor is not registered, hospitals will continue to be responsible for all follow-up care.

Prior to January 1, 2008, a survivor of a sexual assault was provided an initial hospital sexual assault examination in the emergency room as part of the hospital’s emergency services, and was limited to two follow-up visits in the hospital’s emergency room within six weeks from the time of the initial hospital visit.

Effective January 1, 2008, the Sexual Assault Survivor Registration, when accessed through the MEDI System, will produce an Authorization Voucher, HFS 3870.  This voucher will allow the patient to receive follow-up services related to their sexual assault from any community provider of their choice for 90 days following the initial hospital visit.  Under the Sexual Assault Emergency Treatment Program, services may be rendered by a non-enrolled HFS provider.  In addition, a checklist will be generated for hospital use only that identifies the file as part of the Illinois Sexual Assault Program.  A facsimile of the voucher, voucher instruction sheet and checklist accompanies this notice.

Please note, the new registration system does not change the billing procedures for the initial hospital sexual assault emergency room visit.  Hospitals will continue to use the Illinois Sexual Assault Program Outpatient Hospital Billing Form to submit these charges.

Sexual Assault Survivor Registration

Hospitals enrolled in the department’s MEDI system will register a sexual assault survivor into the Sexual Assault Survivor Registration Site (ERSASS).  In order to use the ERSASS, the hospital employee must complete the MEDI registration process, and the hospital’s account administrator for MEDI must authorize the employee to have access to ERSASS.  When ERSASS access has been granted, the employee will follow these steps:

• Log into the MEDI system

• Select the Internet Electronic Claims System link

• Select the ERSASS link on the left side of the screen

• Select the Create Registration link and begin the registration process by entering the Survivor’s Name, Date of Birth and Social Security Number (if available)

Using this information, MEDI will check to see if the sexual assault survivor is Medicaid eligible.  If found to be Medicaid eligible, a message will immediately appear that the hospital should bill the department’s Medical Assistance Program.  If the survivor is not Medicaid eligible, a message will appear indicating that the survivor has been successfully registered in the MEDI system.

Follow-Up Care

Once successfully registered, the MEDI system will generate the Authorization Voucher, HFS 3870 and bi-lingual instruction sheet, explaining the process for using the voucher and the importance of follow-up care.  The voucher and instruction sheet should be given to the survivor before leaving the hospital.  The voucher will allow the survivor to obtain follow-up care related to the sexual assault from any provider of their choice, including, but not limited to physicians, counselors, laboratories and pharmacies.  The voucher has a unique number assigned to the survivor and also contains the survivor’s name, the hospital’s name and the date of the initial emergency room visit.  The voucher is valid for a period of 90 days from the date of the initial emergency room visit.  Once registered, the survivor is required to use the voucher for follow-up care from the provider of their choice even if they choose to receive services at the hospital where the initial sexual assault examination was performed.  However, if the hospital does not register the survivor, the survivor will not have a voucher and can only receive the 90-day follow-up services at the hospital where the initial examination was performed.

Questions regarding the MEDI Sexual Assault Survivor Registration process or the Sexual Assault Survivor Program may be directed to:

Attn: Program Coordinator

Sexual Assault Survivor Program

Healthcare and Family services

P.O. Box 19129

Springfield, Illinois 62794-9129

Telephone: 217-782-3303

E-Mail: hfs.webmaster@illinois.gov

Theresa A. Eagleson, Administrator

Division of Medical Programs

Sexual Assault Survivors Instruction (pdf)

Sexual Assault Survivors Checklist (pdf)

Sexual Assault Survivors Voucher (pdf)