POLICY/PROCEDURE:
Identification of and Notifications About
Designated HIV-AIDS Specialists
DEPARTMENT:
HEALTH SERVICES – Credentialing Department
Last Updated or Revised: 2/08
Original Effective Date: 2/07
POLICY PURPOSE:
To define the process for identifying physicians who meet the qualifications for designation as an HIV/AIDS
specialist and communicating that information to the staff responsible for authorizing care
POLICY STATEMENT:

The Credentialing Department initially identifies and reconfirms annually the panel physicians who meet
the State of California definition of an HIV/AIDS specialist according to California state regulations and
wish to be so identified.

The Credentialing Department periodically communicates HIV/AIDS specialist information to the
Authorizations Department, Case Management Department and affiliated practitioner organization (PO)
practitioners for referral purposes.
PROCEDURES
1.0
2.0
3.0
PO physicians who meet the qualifications for designation and wish to be represented to their patients as an
HIV/AIDS specialist are initially identified through the practitioner application/reapplication process (see
CR Policy: Practitioner Applications and Minimum Information and Disclosure Requirements).
1.1
Practitioners complete Addendum C (version C-1) to the initial credentialing application to determine
whether a physician meets the state’s qualifications for an HIV/AIDS specialist and the physician
wishes/does not wish to be so designated (see Attachment 1: Addendum C, Version C-1).
1.2
The Credentialing Department verifies only board certification status (see CR Policy: Application
Time Frames, Screening and Primary Source Verification). The physician is responsible for
attesting to the accuracy of qualifying criteria other than board certification requirements.
In the first quarter of each year, poll affiliated PO physicians to determine whether they should be identified
as HIV/AIDS specialists.
2.1
Email, fax or mail an HIV/AIDS Specialist Designation Inquiry and Confirmation form 1 to
physicians presently identified as HIV/AIDS specialists indicating that they will continue to be
represented as such to their patients for another 12-month period (see Attachment 2).
2.2
Email, fax or mail an HIV/AIDS Specialist Designation Inquiry and Confirmation form 2 to
physicians in the following specialties other than those already designated as HIV/AIDS specialists to
ascertain their interest in and qualifications as an HIV/AIDS specialist for the next 12-month period:

Family practice

Infectious Diseases

Internal medicine

Pulmonology
Update the credentialing database to reflect the current status of HIV/AIDS specialists and reports their
names to the Contracting Department for notification to the Authorizations and Case Management
Departments, all PO primary care physicians, and contracting health plans.
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POLICY/PROCEDURE:
Identification of and Notifications About
Designated HIV-AIDS Specialists
DEPARTMENT:
HEALTH SERVICES – Credentialing Department
Last Updated or Revised: 2/08
Original Effective Date: 2/07
RELATED POLICIES:
Policy No.
Title
CR
Practitioner Applications and Minimum Information and Disclosure Requirements
CR
Application Time Frames, Screening and Primary Source Verification
ATTACHMENTS:
Policy No.
Title
1
Addendum C, Version C-1
2
HIV/AIDS Specialist Designation Inquiry and Confirmation form 1&2
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