Public Health Emergency Expected to Be Extended
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has assured states that it will give a 60-day notice before ending the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). With less than 60 days before the end of the current PHE — which lasts through mid-October — and no notice from HHS, it is expected that the PHE will be renewed again through mid-January.
It is anticipated that AHCCCS will now have until the beginning of the new year to prepare for the end of the PHE. AHCCCS has continued to conduct member redeterminations throughout the PHE and is notifying members who will need to submit eligibility documentation once the PHE expires.
Members can take steps today to prepare. Encourage all members to update their mailing address by logging into healthearizonaplus.gov.
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Agency Develops Long-term Strategic Plan
AHCCCS has finalized its five-year strategic plan for State Fiscal Years 2023-2027. The plan is focused on three pillars: sustain, build, and lead. Specifically, the plan calls on the agency to sustain the program through the provision of equitable access to high quality, whole-person care. This pillar includes initiatives to reduce provider workforce shortages, maintain a responsive provider network, address key social drivers of health, and meet the needs of individuals with special health care needs. The plan also tasks the agency with building upon the current program by striving to implement solutions that optimize member and provider experience. This pillar includes initiatives aimed at supporting technology platforms that advance program operations; enhancing transparency related to delivery system performance; eliminating fraud, waste and abuse; and aligning funding priorities across the agency’s entitlement and discretionary programs. The final pillar compels AHCCCS to continue to lead by offering tools and programming that support core organizational capacity, minimize disruption in operations when staff transition, and improve employee engagement and retention.
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During September, State Agencies and Organizations Call Attention to Suicide Prevention Efforts
During National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in September, AHCCCS is working with state agencies, organizations, and coalitions to educate citizens about the role that everyone plays in preventing suicide. Governor Doug Ducey proclaimed September Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in Arizona, citing that:
- Arizona ranks 20th in the nation for deaths by suicide,
- Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in Arizona,
- 1,359 Arizonans died by suicide in 2020,
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Arizonans ages 10-34, and
- On average, one person in Arizona dies by suicide every six and a half hours.
In coordination with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), suicide prevention is included in the 2021-2025 Arizona Health Improvement Plan. Over the next five years, public health partners will focus on a number of key strategies to reduce suicides in the state.
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Resources About Monkeypox Posted on AHCCCS Website
Information about the Monkeypox virus, vaccinations, state and county websites, and frequently asked questions are posted on the AHCCCS website under Resources/Public Health.
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Public Comment on Updated Arizona Olmstead Plan Accepted Through Sept. 22
AHCCCS is accepting public comment on its updated Arizona Olmstead Plan through Sept. 22, 2022.
Olmstead is a 1999 United States Supreme Court decision that provided a legal framework to integrate individuals with disabilities into the communities in which they live. Following issuance of the Olmstead decision, AHCCCS elected to create a plan to guide the agency’s work in improving access to community-based services for individuals at risk of institutionalization, including individuals with behavioral health needs and members of the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) program.
The Olmstead Plan includes targeted strategies designed to mitigate institutionalization and support a member’s successful transition from an institutional setting into community-based living. Learn more about the updated Arizona Olmstead plan.
You can submit comments on the updated Olmstead plan by email at Olmstead@azahcccs.gov, or by mail at AHCCCS, Program Initiatives Team, 801 E. Jefferson Street, Mail Drop 6500, Phoenix, AZ 85034
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Revised ARP Spending Plan and Summary Published
AHCCCS has published its revised American Rescue Act (ARP), Section 9817 spending plan, detailing efforts to use enhanced federal funding to strengthen, enhance, and/or expand home and community-based services (HCBS) available to AHCCCS members.
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Jacob’s Law Training for Foster, Kinship and Adoptive Parents Webinar
Tues., Sept. 6, 10:00 a.m. and Fri., Sept. 16, 1:00 p.m., online
This training provides an overview of Arizona House Bill 2442, passed into law in 2016; a review of the DCS Placement Packet; legal rights and protections; and covered services.
OIFA Hot Topics Meeting
Mon., Sept. 19, 11:00 a.m., online
Join us to learn about AHCCCS' new managed care procurement for health plans interested in administering the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) product line serving individuals who are elderly and/or have a physical disability (EPD).
Office of Human Rights: The Inpatient Treatment & Discharge Planning for Individuals Living with a Serious Mental Illness
Thurs., September 22, 3:00-4:30 p.m., online
To join by audio only:
877-853-5257
Webinar ID: 896 0968 3838
Passcode: 5002317789
Building Partnerships Community Policy Meeting
Mon, September 26, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m., online
Health Care Navigation: Using OIFA Empowerment Tools to Navigate the Health Care System
Tues., Sept. 27, noon to 12:30 p.m., online
Learn about the AHCCCS standards on appointment availability as they apply to primary care providers (PCPs), specialists, dental, maternity and behavioral health providers.
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