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Updates and Announcements
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Joint NC DMHDDSAS and DHB (NC Medicaid) COVID-19 Update for NC Providers Webinar
During this call, panelists will present policy updates from DMHDDSAS and DHB representatives followed by an open Q&A session. In addition to DMHDDSAS and DHB subject matter experts we will also have a representative from DHSR on the call to answer questions you might have. In consideration of the limited time we have on the call, we ask that you review the guidance links (below) on the DHHS website and FAQs on the NC Medicaid site to see if an answer to your question has already been provided.
Date: Thursday, July 23, 2020
Time: 3:00 pm
Today, the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to establish 988 as the new, nationwide, 3-digit phone number for Americans in crisis to connect with suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors. The rules require all phone service providers to direct all 988 calls to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022. During the transition to 988, Americans who need help should continue to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK) and through online chats. Veterans and Service members may reach the Veterans Crisis Line by pressing 1 after dialing, chatting online at www.veteranscrisisline.net, or texting 838255.
JCB #369: North Carolina Supports Needs Assessment Profile: Initial and Annual Assessment
Effective May 19, 2020, through the conclusion of the North Carolina declared state of emergency related to the COVID-19 crisis, a certified North Carolina Support Needs Assessment Profile (NC SNAP) examiner may complete NC SNAP assessments anywhere in the state of NC for any eligible individual.
NC SNAP examiners are not restricted to completing assessments only within their catchment area. If examiners are unable to complete the assessments face-to-face, as the preferred method, the assessment may be completed via telehealth or telephonically, by speaking with the individual, natural supports and/or staff of the individual's choice. If no one is available to speak to the examiner, the examiner may also review documents, such as past NC SNAP assessments, the PersonCentered Plan and the individual's file (including notes and other assessments) to gain reliable information to complete a new/updated assessment.
At the end of the COVID-19 crisis, face-to-face assessments will continue to be the first and preferred choice to complete NC SNAP assessments. This applies to initial and annual NC SNAP assessments.
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SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #114 Now Available
The NC Division of Health Benefits (DHB) has recently published another Medicaid Bulletin article related to COVID-19:
SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #114: Hospice Room and Board Reimbursement Rate Increase and Clarification of COVID-19 Rate Billing Guidelines for Skilled Nursing Facilities and Hospice Providers
This NC Medicaid Bulletin describes:
- Hospice provider rate increase from 95% to 100% of Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) reimbursement rates for room and board services provided in a SNF
- Overview of COVID-19 rate increases applicable to SNFs and Hospice providers
- Billing guidelines for Hospice services provided in a SNF designated as a "COVID-19 Outbreak" or "COVID-19 Response" site
Three New Medicaid Bulletins Available as of July 21, 2020
The NC Division of Health Benefits (DHB) has recently published three new Medicaid Bulletin articles dated July 21, 2020:
Providers are encouraged to review this important information.
All bulletin articles, including those related to COVID-19, are available on the
DHB's Medicaid Bulletin webpage.
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North Carolina's HIE Delivers Real-time Patient Alerts to Providers
Raleigh, N.C.
- Health care providers in North Carolina will now have one more tool in their toolkit to help improve care coordination for their patients. NC HealthConnex, the state-designated health information exchange (HIE), is now offering real time event notifications to participants through NC*Notify, giving them more detailed information about patient populations.
Real time event notifications through the HIE's NC*Notify service are especially important for community-based primary care providers, post-acute facilities, health insurers, and value-based care organizations that employ care teams to provide critical follow up after patients are admitted and discharged from the emergency department or inpatient stays in hospitals.
"Having access to timely information about when our patients are seen at the hospital is always important to deliver better care. But especially during a public health crisis such as COVID-19, having access to timely notifications when my patients have been admitted or released from the hospital helps our staff schedule important follow up care with our patients," said Dr. Harriett Burns, Associate Medical Director and Primary Care Provider at Piedmont Health Services Inc., an NC*Notify subscriber, and member of the NC Health Information Exchange Authority (NC HIEA) Advisory Board.
Additionally, the NC*Notify service has been enhanced to offer a web-based care coordination application.
In March 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service released final rules that require hospitals to provide these electronic notifications to other health care providers when a patient is admitted to the hospital or visits the emergency department as a Condition of Participation (CoP) for Medicare and Medicaid.
"Based on admission, discharge, and transfer data received from more than 100 participating hospitals plus encounter data from more than 6,000 ambulatory care settings, the NC*Notify real-time event notifications provide care teams with valuable information that spans geography and care settings and support state and federal efforts to focus on patient centered care," said Christie Burris, executive director for the NC HIEA, the state entity that manages NC HealthConnex.
Benefits to health care providers and patients for timely routing of electronic event notifications include:
- giving providers insight to check in with patients after events and to schedule follow-up appointments for clinical interventions;
- reducing avoidable hospital readmissions and improves coordination across the care continuum;
- and helping providers achieve financial goals under value-based care contracts;
The NC HIEA's NC*Notify newly-released version is built on the Encounter Notification Service® , ENS®,
Audacious Inquiry's
leading care coordination platform that is currently used by interoperability-driven organizations in 12 states, representing over 60 million active patient subscriptions. Additionally, the service incorporates data from national networks, including the Patient Centered Data Home (PCDH) managed by the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative (SHIEC) that has distributed 1 billion total event notifications nationwide.
About the NC HIEA:
The North Carolina Health Information Exchange Authority (NC HIEA) operates North Carolina's state-operated health information exchange, NC HealthConnex, in a public-private partnership with Cary, NC-based analytics company, SAS. NC HealthConnex is a secure, standardized electronic system in which providers can share important patient health information.
See how it works.
The NC HIEA is committed to its mission: to connect health care providers to safely and securely share health information through a trusted network to improve health care quality and outcomes for North Carolinians. For more information about the NC HIEA visit:
https://hiea.nc.gov/about-us/about-nc-hiea.
About NC*Notify:
NC*Notify is
a subscription-based service
that notifies providers as their patients receive services across the care continuum, spanning geography, health care systems, acute and ambulatory care settings, etc. NC*Notify highlights provider focus areas including custom lists that allow cohorts of patients tuned to providers' interests and offers custom delivery methods that integrate into various provider workflows.
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Wednesday: July 22, 2020
COVID-19 and Its Impact on Neurological Functioning, presented by Dr. Michael Hall
Time: 2:00 pm
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Thursday, July 23 thru Friday, July 24, 2020
American Heart Association Basic Life Support Provider Course
This course covers CPR, AED use, Rescue Breathing, Opioid Emergencies, and Choking Relief for Adult, Child, and Infant.
The AHA BLS Provider course DOES NOT include First Aid training.
Time: July 23, 2020 at 9:00 am thru July 24, 2020 at 12:00 pm
Note: There is a registration fee of $80.00 for this course
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Thursday, July 23, 2020
Autism and Covid-19: Teaching the rules in this new norm
Time: 11:30 am thru 1:00 pm
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Thursday, July 23, 2020
Information Session Care Review Team
Time: 11:00 am thru 12:30 pm
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Thursday, July 23, 2020
Time: 12:00 pm thru 1:00 pm
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Thursday, July 23, 2020
Time: 1:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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Thursday, July 23, 2020
COVID-19 Q&A Webinar for Behavioral Health Care
Time: 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm EST
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Thursday, July 23, 2020
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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New: Thursday, July 23, 2020
Joint NC DMHDDSAS and DHB (NC Medicaid) COVID-19 Update
for NC Providers
Time: 3:00 pm thru 4:00 pm
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Friday: July 24, 2020
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 pm
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New: Friday: July 24, 2020
Parents as Changemakers: Effective Policy Advocacy
Time: 3:00 pm thru 4:30 pm
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Tuesday: July 28, 2020
On the Frontline: Promoting Self-Care Practices and Psychological Well-Being During a Crisis
Time: 9:00 am thru 10:00 am
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Tuesday: July 28, 2020
An Introduction to Youth Problem Gambling
Time: 10:00 am thu 2:30 pm
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Wednesday: July 29, 2020
Human Service Provision in High Stress Environments, Skills and Strategies for Provider Self-Care
Time: 10:00 am thu 11:30 am
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Wednesday: July 29, 2020
On the Frontline: How to Manage Anxiety and Worry During a Crisis (New Time)
Time: 10:00 am thu 11:00
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Wednesday: July 29, 2020
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience-Focused Skills Lab
Time: 10:00 am thu 2:30 pm
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Wednesday: July 29, 2020
Time: 12:00 pm thru 1:00 pm
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Wednesday: July 29, 2020
A to Zs of COVID-19 for Families and Individuals
with I-DD
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
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Wednesday: July 29, 2020
Series: Hurricane Season and COVID-19: How Families of Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Can Be Prepared
Part 3:
Recovery, Resources, and Questions Answered about Preparing during COVID-19
Time: 1:00 pm thru 2:00 pm EST
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Wednesday: July 29, 2020
Accreditation for the Changing Face of Addiction Treatment
Time: 1:00 pm thru 2:00 pm EST
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Thursday: July 30, 2020
Human Service Provision in High Stress Environments, Skills and Strategies for Provider Self-Care
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:30 pm
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Tuesday: August 4, 2020
Addressing the Intersection of Substance Use and Suicide: Strategies for Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:30 pm
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Please click on each of the following links to view details sent out from each LME/MCO.
Benchmarks' wants to be sure to make the following list handy for our members to visit and suggests a peek at least once per week to find information that may be pertinent to your agency and contracts.
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