2016 SOAP Notes for Medicare Advantage Risk Adjustment

The 2016 Medicare Advantage Prospective Risk-Adjustment program is drawing to a close. Once again, we would like to thank all who participated in this important voluntary program. There is still time to complete and submit additional SOAP Notes for 2016. Here are a few things to remember:

• All 2016 submissions must reflect patient encounters completed by December 31, 2016.

• 2016 paper and ePASS^® SOAP Notes should be faxed or submitted through the ePASS website by January 31, 2017.

• Please do not forget to submit a claim for your encounter. The rendering provider on the claim must match the provider who signs the SOAP Note.
• Please make sure the “Exam Date” on the SOAP Note matches the "Encounter Date" on the claim.

• ePASS^® will continue to be used for SOAP Note submissions in 2017. This month, you will see 2016 and 2017 Soap Notes listed in the “Patients” lists. You will see this until the 2016 campaign closes.

We encourage you to use the patient scheduling list provided by Inovalon to guide you to the targeted patient encounters we are requesting. However, you may complete a SOAP Note for all of your Medicare Advantage members if you wish. The “Patients” tab in ePASS^® is the easiest way to view your entire patient list.

Here are some additional things to remember as you complete your 2016 SOAP Notes:

• If you wish to use a prior encounter, please do not go back more than 60 days.
• If you are filling out a SOAP Note in January for a 2016 encounter, there will be SOAP Notes listed in ePASS for 2016 and 2017. Please check the “Encounter Year” column to make sure you’re selecting the correct SOAP Note.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is including “Quality Gaps” in the Inovalon SOAP Notes this year. The format and process for completing SOAP Notes has not changed, but you may see additional questions in the “Assessment” sections of the SOAP Notes.

Inovalon’s ePASS support team is available to answer your questions about ePASS. They can be reached at ePASSsupport@inovalon.com, or 1-877-448-8125, Monday through Friday, from 8 am – 7 pm.

Please contact Joe Richard, Blue Cross NC Risk Adjustment, at 919-765-1497, with any questions about this program. You may contact Teylo Thornton, Blue Cross NC Financial Analysis, at 919-765-3256, with questions about incentive payments.