January 18, 2019  |  Issue 1  |  Volume 4
Medicaid e-News
News and Announcements:
Medicaid Reports Demonstrate Key Program Improvements

The Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) has published the Managed Care Annual Performance Report for state fiscal year 2018 (SFY18). This annual report includes key descriptors and measures that provide information about the operations of the IA Health Link managed care program.

The annual report shows a significant improvement for both members and providers. Escalated member issues have decreased by 50% since SFY17. Escalated provider issues have decreased by 81% since SFY17. This reflects an improved member experience and that providers are being paid more timely.

The Managed Care Quarterly Report for Quarter 1 of SFY19 has also been published. This report features a variety of new metrics based on stakeholder feedback. These metrics include data on the average number of days to process claims. In this most recent quarter medical claims were paid within 6 to 9 days.



Iowa Medicaid Reports Filed With General Assembly Available Online

All Iowa Medicaid reports and other documents that were filed to the General Assembly in December 2018 can be viewed online.


Public Notice

The following public notice and request for comment has recently been posted on the Department's website:


Reminders:
DHS Now Accepting Medicaid Premiums Online
Iowa Health and Wellness Plan members and Dental Wellness Plan members that receive a monthly billing statement in the mail, can now pay their premiums online.

Make a payment online at any time using the Department's new secure website, "ClickPay":   https://secureapp.dhs.state.ia.us/clickpay.

Payments may only be made from your checking or savings account. Once you submit your payment information, a receipt will be made for your records.

The ClickPay website does not require you to create an account to make a payment. However, you'll need to enter your statement number, Member ID and the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number to make a payment. (The statement number is located on the front of the statement, in the upper-right-hand corner.)

Once you enter the required information you will be transferred to a secure bank site: U.S. Bank, to complete your transaction. U.S. Bank processes the premiums for DHS; you do not need to have a U.S. Bank account to pay your contribution online. 

The ClickPay online payment option is not available for hawk-i or Medicaid for Employed People with Disabilities members.

Changing Your Managed Care Organization
Remember, members  requesting to change their Managed Care Organization (MCO) due to 'Good Cause,' f irst must contact their current MCO to go through their grievance process for resolution. If the issue has not been resolved following the decision of the grievance, the member may call Iowa Medicaid Member Services at 1-800-338-8366. The final decision for disenrollment will be determined by DHS. For more information click here.

Provider Tools and Resources:
Providers are Encouraged to Verify Eligibility
The Eligibility and Verification Information System (ELVS) line is very busy during the first of the month. The ELVS web portal  is another option for providers in lieu of calling the ELVS line but each provider must enroll through the Electronic Data Interchange Support Services (EDISS). The ELVS web portal allows for multiple eligibility checks and batch submission, where as the ELVS phone system only allows for one at a time.

Login ID and password may be obtained through EDISS by submitting the following Access Request Form to EDISS or calling EDISS at 1-800-967-7902. 
 
Provider Resource Pages
Comprehensive provider resource pages are available for each Managed Care Organization (MCO), featuring provider training manuals, webinars and important updates. View them below:


IA Health Link Success Stories
I A Health Link is a managed care program that works to make sure members get the health care that they need. Click the image below to read the success stories.



Looking for an Old Issue of the Medicaid e-News?
Each edition features useful tools and important updates. Now you can quickly access old issues to find what your looking for. Visit the Iowa Medicaid newsletter page  where you'll find links to each issue.

Iowa Medicaid Contacts
Iowa Medicaid Provider Services
1-800-338-7909
IA Health Link Member Services
1-800-600-4441

1-800-464-9484
IA Health Link Provider Services
1-800-454-3730

1-888-650-3462
Dental Wellness Plan Member Services
1-888-472-2793

1-855-247-6262
Dental Wellness Plan Provider Services
1-888-472-1205

1-855-856-6262

Informational Letters
Informational letters are posted through the Iowa Medicaid Portal Application (IMPA) system and are available on the DHS website  here These letters communicate important policies and procedures for providers and their administrative staff. 

Iowa Medicaid Enterprise | IMECommunications@dhs.state.ia.us | dhs.iowa.gov
100 Army Post Rd., Des Moines, IA 50315