Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Youth:  Treatment Applications and Special Populations

November 8, 2019  |   8:30 AM to 4:00 PM

REGISTER HERE

As part of the standard terms and conditions for New York's Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) required New York to competitively procure an Independent Evaluator (IE). The task of the IE is to test research questions regarding the goals of the demonstration in transforming the safety net system at both the local and state level, and accountability in reducing avoidable hospital use and improvements in other health areas. The State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health was selected to be the IE.

The IE is required to conduct analyses and provide an Interim Evaluation Report and the final Summative Evaluation Report based on a CMS-approved evaluation plan to cover the entire demonstration from April 2014 to March 31, 2020. The Interim Evaluation Report, approved by CMS on October 2, 2019, covers the early period 2014-2017. The initial findings are promising based on the preliminary data available at the time of the evaluation.

The comprehensive evaluation and findings will be provided in the Summative Evaluation Report to be submitted to CMS in the fall of 2021.

The NYS Department of Health (DOH) has updated its New York Medicaid Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Program website to include an EVV Stakeholder Convening Report. From May 30, 2019, to July 18, 2019, the DOH held a series of web-based and in-person Listening Sessions throughout the State. The purpose of these sessions was to receive input from Medicaid beneficiaries, family caregivers, providers, advocates and other stakeholders on the State's implementation of EVV requirements for Medicaid-funded personal care and home health care services, as required under the federal 21st Century Cures Act.

The report summarizes the feedback received at those sessions and responses to a survey of personal care and home care providers. The EVV Stakeholder Convening Report is  available here.  

In addition, the federal 21st Century Cures Act, which mandates EVV compliance in all states, includes a provision that allows for the delay of EVV implementation for up to one year if a state has encountered unavoidable delays, as demonstrated in a good faith effort (GFE). The DOH intends to request a one-year GFE extension from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by November 30, 2019.  The EVV website will be updated to reflect the status of the State's GFE submission and CMS's determination.