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County Incentives Program
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| FY17-18 County Incentives Program |
Updates!
The County Incentives Program Guide and related documents can be found on the
County Administration website.
The County Relations Team will send out Reporting Period 1 Status Reports to county directors before January 31, 2018.
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FY 2017-18 County Grant Program
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Reminder!
For counties that have projects that were approved through the FY 2017-18 County Grant Program, your Quarterly Check In for the third quarter will be a site visit in March.
Tentative dates for site visits have been sent to counties.
Please tell the County Relations Team if your county is available that day or not.
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Quick Links and Resources
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Medicaid and CHP+ Rules and Guidance
Volume 8 - Rules - direct link to Secretary of State
HCPF Forms and Rules
HCPF Agency and Directors Letters
HCPF FAQs and Training
HCPF County Relations
CBMS Enhancement Sheets - Governor's Office of Information Technology (OIT)
Staff Development Center (SDC)
Training Calendar
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Welcome to the January 2018 edition of County Connections!
The content in this newsletter is designed to inform county directors, management and staff in areas such as county performance, process improvement, collaboration, policy updates, upcoming due dates and more.
Please feel free to share
County Connections
with your colleagues by selecting
forward this email
at the bottom of this page.
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Breaking News - Policy and Process Updates |
Child Health Plan Plus Update: Federal Funding Renewed
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Congress has renewed federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for six years and the President has signed the bill in to law. This means the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) program will continue in Colorado.
This week the Department will begin notifying CHP+ members that the program will continue. Additional information will be made available in the coming days on CO.gov/HCPF/FutureCHP.
Important Reminders
- CHP+ members can continue to go to the doctor and use their benefits.
- CHP+ children can continue to go to the dentist.
- CHP+ providers can continue to make and keep appointments with the CHP+ members.
- If a CHP+ member receives a letter stating it is time to renew their CHP+ benefits, they should follow the instructions in the letter and pay their enrollment fee, if one is owed. If they don't pay their enrollment fee, they may not have coverage.
Stay Informed
We encourage you to visit CO.gov/HCPF/FutureCHP and sign up for our Future of CHP+ newsletter for updates.
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Health First Colorado Co-pay Increases
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Three Health First Colorado co-pay amounts changed January 1, 2018 as part of SB 17-267 implementation:
- Outpatient hospital visit co-pays increased from $3 to $4
- Non-emergency ER visit co-pay increased from $3 to $6
- Generic drug co-pay increased from $1 to $3
5% Co-pay Cap
Providers, please be aware that Health First Colorado members are liable for no more than 5 percent of their monthly household income towards co-payments per month. The Provider Web Portal will display whether a member is co-pay eligible as of the date it is checked.
Please note: Members may reach their 5 percent co-pay maximum for the month before the Provider Web Portal reflects this because of the time allowed for providers to submit claims. Please consider this possibility if Health First Colorado members believe they have met their monthly co-pay maximum, but the Provider Web Portal indicates the member owes a co-pay amount at the time of their visit.
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IRS Form 1095-B in the Mail to Health First Colorado and CHP+ Members
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The Department began mailing 1095-B tax forms to nearly all Health First Colorado and all CHP+ members on January 11, 2018 through January 20, 2018.
IRS Tax Form 1095-B is a federal tax document that includes information about the months during 2017 in which Health First Colorado and CHP+ members were enrolled in qualifying health coverage.
Members are not required to include the 1095-B form with their tax return, but they should keep it with their tax records to verify coverage.
The Department will begin mailing corrected 1095-B forms, as needed, in February 2018.
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2018 Social Security Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) Agency Letter HCPF 17-011
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Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits will increase due to a COLA of 2% in 2018.
The purpose of the COLA is to ensure that the purchasing power of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits is not eroded by inflation. It is based on the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers from the third quarter of the last year a COLA was determined to the third quarter of the current year.
The 300% income limit, home equity maximum, minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance maximum, and the community spouse resource allowance will increase. The Medicare Part B premium will also increase.
Beginning January 1, 2018, the Medicare Nursing Facility Co-Insurance Rate and the Income Trust Gross Income Limits and Average Nursing Facility Private Pay Rates will change. Additionally, the Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) base amount for residents of Nursing and Intermediate Care Facilities will increase by 3%, setting the 2018 PNA Base Amount at $84.41.
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Accountable Care Collaborative Phase II Update
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Regional Accountable Entity Contract Awards
In November 2017, the Department announced the awards for the seven Regional Accountable Entity (RAE) contracts.
The Department has made available the proposals and contact information from each of the awarded entities on CO.gov/HCPF/ACCPhase2.
Next Steps
The Department continues to prepare for the implementation of the next phase of the Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC) and will be immediately focusing on contract negotiations with the new Regional Accountable Entities vendors, finalizing the 1915(b) waiver with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), managing system updates, and performing a variety of implementation activities.
The Department is also working to provide key communications about the program over the next few months. Some of the topics we will address include:
- Overview of ACC Phase II
- Provider Contracting
- Attribution Process
- Behavioral Health Services in Primary Care
- Performance Measurement
Below is a high-level timeline of the Department's activities.
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Save the Date: ACC Phase II Webinars
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The Department will be hosting two live webinars. The webinars will also be recorded and posted online.
ACC Phase II Implementation Process Overview
This is an eligible training for the HCPF FY 2017-2018 County Incentives Program
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Date:
January 30, 2018
Time:
3:30-4:15pm
Purpose:
- Review goals and objectives of ACC Phase II
- Share Department implementation activities and key milestones
- Share plan for external communications
Participants will be provided a Q&A opportunity through the webinar chat function.
ACC Phase II: What Providers Need to Know
Date:
February 7, 2018
Time:
9:30-10:15am
Purpose:
- Review goals and objectives of ACC Phase II
- Share role of Regional Accountable Entities (RAEs)
- Share what providers need to know and action needed
Participants will be provided a Q&A opportunity through the webinar chat function.
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Timeliness for December 2017
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Timeliness numbers for the month of December 2017 are in!
Timeliness for all Medical Assistance
applications for the month was measured at
98.07 percent.
The Department and its county partners have registered 42 consecutive months above 95 percent timeliness.
Timeliness for all Medical Assistance redeterminations for the month was measured at
98.92 percent.
The Department and its county partners have registered 23 consecutive months above 95 percent timeliness.
This could not have been accomplished without the hard work of our county partners. Many thanks!
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The following counties were
below the 95.00 percent benchmark for the month of November 2017.
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Applications
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Redeterminations
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| Adams County - 80.88% |
Baca County - 91.11% |
| Crowley County - 83.33% |
Broomfield County - 92.65% |
| Kit Carson County - 91.11% |
Cheyenne County - 88.68% |
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Costilla County - 93.37% |
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Crowley County - 91.40% |
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Lake County - 94.42% |
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Opt-In to Received AVP E-mail Notifications
Opting in to receive the AVP email notifications will inform the caseworker that the AVP has received liquid asset information related to a CBMS case. It serves as a reminder for the caseworker to go back into the case and review the AVP response and take action on the response if required.
Take the Asset Verification Program Training
The Health Care and Economic Security Staff Development Center (SDC) has released the training for the Asset Verification Program (AVP) project. The project will be implemented in CBMS on December 17, 2017.This is an eligible training for the HCPF Fiscal Year 2017-18 County Incentives Program.
This training consists of two web-based modules and a desk aid to help CBMS users understand the changes related to this project.
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Training Name
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Modality
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Overview
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Estimated Completion Time
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Training Location
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Asset Verification Program - Part 1
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Web-Based Training
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Provides an overview of the AVP and associated CBMS changes.
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15 - 20 minutes
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Asset Verification Program - Part 2
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Web-Based Training
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Provides information on the ways AVP information can be received and actions that must be taken on the interface.
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15 - 20 minutes
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Asset Verification Program (AVP) Action
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Desk Aid
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This desk aid provides direction on action to take when AVP information is received.
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Not estimated since this is a guide that users can reference outside of the training module.
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If you have questions or concerns regarding this email, please contact us at [email protected].
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| Medicaid Eligibility, Staff Development Center, and County Relations Email Inboxes |
The Health Care and Economic Security Staff Development Center (SDC)
, the Medicaid Eligibility Inbox, and The HCPF County Relations Joint Inbox are all available to assist counties and partner agencies with various MA training, process and policy concerns. Each inbox has a specific role as defined below.
- [email protected] This email inbox for SDC is for MA training related questions, data entry instruction and guidance to the location of training materials. SDC provides general processing and data entry guidance. Staff does not have access to CBMS to view individual cases.
- [email protected] This inbox will provide policy guidance to help you ensure eligibility is being determined properly for Medical Assistance.
- [email protected] The HCPF County Relations Joint Inbox is used for communications and inquiries from county human services directors and upper management, county partner information or inquiries concerning program management of the County Grant and County Incentives Programs, and county general inquiries that are unrelated to eligibility, policy, or training.
For
any inquiries that may require guidance from more than one area, or if it is a question you are not sure which inbox is correct, please send your inquiry in one email to the inboxes that seem relevant. Then we can efficiently determine which area(s) should provide the guidance.
Please remember these inboxes are for internal use for counties, MA sites, and related agencies only. Please do not share with members.
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| Member Experience Advisory Council - Regional Meetings |
Please help recruit
Health First Colorado or CHP+ members or their family members/caretakers for the Department's Member Experience Advisory Councils.
- The Councils help the Department develop and maintain a culture of person-centeredness by engaging the voices of members, family members and caretakers who have little or no previous experience collaborating with the Department.
- The goal is to incorporate the member or consumer voice early in the development of Department processes and policies and help identify pain points in the member experience.
- The Department needs your help to recruit members from your community to help do this work.
Two Options for Participation:
- The In-Person Advisory Council meets no more than once a month in Denver. Members receive travel reimbursement and gift card incentives for participation.
- The Virtual Advisory Council provides feedback to the Department via email, surveys or other online forums. Members receive gift card incentives for participation.
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| Single Entry Point Contract Update |
From the Office of Community Living
On October 31,2017, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Department) released a formal Request for Information (RFI) to gather information and prepare for the Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitation for Single Entry Point (SEP) administration.
Based on the RFI feedback and additional work that needs to occur to align case management services across the State, the Department will not post a RFP to solicit new vendors to perform SEP functions.
The Department will contract with all the current SEP contractors for a two-year contract term of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2020 under a Sole Source procurement method. The contracts will include the current payment methodology/rates and updated language to accurately reflect statutory requirements, contractor general provisions, deliverable requirements and overall general language cleanup and clarification.
Read the communication brief
here.
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Improving Disability Competent Care
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Better understand the barriers persons with disabilities face when accessing Primary Care, and learn easy, tax-advantaged ways to improve your practice.
Hear from members about the value and practice of delivering Disability Competent Care (DCC), or take your practice to the next level and complete the
Colorado Disability Competent Care self-assessment tool.
Providing Disability-Competent Care can benefit your practice in many ways:
- Listening to patients' needs and building trust can lead to cost savings over time, as patients' health needs are better met.
- Certain improvements are eligible for tax write-offs and other financial incentives.
- Providing DCC can reduce the likelihood of litigation, since the American Disability Act (ADA) requires that providers maintain equal access.
- Learning DCC will help you be a better clinician.
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The purpose of a Load Letter is to confirm that a member was approved for Health First Colorado retroactively or there was a delay in eligibility approval 120 days from date of service. If the member has been approved for Health First Colorado, the load letter will be issued to the provider to allow them to bill for the service. Providers will need to submit the claim with the attached load letter via the
Provider Web Portal
so it will not deny for timely filing.
As of June 1, 2017, Load Letters will only be accepted by DXC if they are granted by the Department. DXC will no longer accept any claims with a Load Letter that does not have the revision date of April 17, 2017.
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| From the Office of eHealth Innovation |
How Counties can Utilize Colorado's Newly Approved Health IT Roadmap
Colorado's Health IT Roadmap
- a collaborative effort led by the Office of eHealth Innovation (OeHI) and steered by the eHealth Commission- has been reviewed and approved by both the Governor's Office and eHealth Commission, concluding its planning phase.
Colorado's Health Roadmap in 2018- What's next and how to get involved?
The Roadmap provides strategic direction for the state of Colorado (both to state and non-state entities), in ways that will most effectively support Colorado's Triple Aim - best care, best health, and best value.
The Roadmap was developed with input from over 1000 stakeholders from both urban and rural Colorado communities and identifies sixteen (16) initiatives, which will help to advance the health information infrastructure of Colorado.
In addition to the transition planning underway (governance, funding, sourcing, staffing, etc.), there are many ways in which OeHI and the eHealth Commission could use support from Colorado counties in bringing the Roadmap to life:
- Use the Roadmap as a guide for strategic health IT planning; the more alignment, the more likely to achieve ambitious, statewide objectives.
- Use the Roadmap as a source of idea generation, strategies, suggested approaches, ideas for funding, or in other ways that might help achieve organizational objectives.
- Share the Roadmap with members of IT governance committees, organizational executives, IT leaders and staff, and others engaged in delivering health, and health IT capabilities.
- Contribute to efforts to further define and launch Roadmap initiatives by signing up.
- Set up time to discuss ideas with OeHI on how to get involved and/or discuss particular projects or ideas. Contact Carrie Paykoc at [email protected] to get a meeting set up.
OeHI continues to advance work in several areas identified as priorities for the Roadmap, such as electronic clinical quality measures to reduce provider reporting burden, a program management office, and a statewide master provider directory.
All input received from the counties thus far is appreciated, and the state looks forward to further collaboration to define and implement key initiatives. There is an incredible opportunity here in Colorado, with all the right ingredients to continue creating a healthy, cost-effective, and spectacular future. The participation of all counties is needed to make this happen!
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From Connect for Health Colorado
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New County Engagement Coordinator
Jessica Smith is the new County Engagement Coordinator at Connect for Health Colorado®. Connect for Health Colorado is Colorado's health insurance marketplace, where individuals and families can apply for financial help to reduce the cost of their health insurance. Jessica is a dedicated resource for you and your staff, and the primary county liaison for Connect for Health Colorado. She can provide support in various ways including:
- In-person or web based training related to financial help available through the marketplace
- In-person or web based training related to Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) eligibility
- Support with enrollment in a health insurance policy through the marketplace
- Updates on the current health care policy landscape nationally and locally
If you have any questions or want more information regarding Connect for Health Colorado, please do not hesitate to contact Jessica directly at
[email protected]
or via phone at 720-518-2164.
Watch your inboxes for Connect for Health Colorado's new county specific monthly newsletter, County Connect.
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Achieving Health Equity and Improving Health Behaviors by Addressing the Social Determinants of Health
Thursday, February 22, 2018 from noon to 1:30 p.m. (MT)
REGISTER HERE for HRSA's two-part series to increase awareness of health equity and provide behavioral health practitioners with strategies and resources for improving health behaviors and reducing disparities in access to behavioral health care.
Part One will focus on the concepts in defining health equity and social disparities in health. Part Two will provide behavioral health practitioners with strategies and resources for reducing disparities.
Objectives:
Identify complex concepts in defining health equity and why definitions do matter.
Identify what produces and reproduces social disparities in health and health behaviors.
Save the date of March 22, 2018, from 2 to 3:30 PM ET, for Part Two of the Behavioral Health Equity Town Hall webinar series.
For more information about Part One of the series, contact Cynthia Harne, at [email protected].
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| From Colorado Health Foundation |
Colorado Health Foundation Funding Opportunities
The Colorado Health Foundation invites you to visit our website to learn how our open funding opportunities can help you make a difference in your community. Our next grant application deadline is
Feb. 15, 2018. Open funding opportunities include:
This funding opportunity will support locally-defined, place-specific efforts to get people outdoors and actively engaged in their neighborhoods - together - with the goal of activating existing infrastructure in public places that contributes to a community's overall health. Learn more and apply.
Capital Infrastructure - Comprehensive Primary Care
This funding opportunity will support capital infrastructure projects that aim to increase access to comprehensive primary care services in rural and low-income communities throughout Colorado. Learn more and apply.
This funding opportunity will support rural and/or high-need districts/charters to develop and implement a community-informed action plan that provides students with increased health opportunities throughout the school day. Learn more and apply.
This funding opportunity will support improved access to high quality primary care providers serving the needs of low-income, publicly insured and uninsured rural Colorado patients. Learn more and apply.
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The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing complies with applicable federal and state civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic or national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, creed, political beliefs, or disability. Learn more about our Nondiscrimination Policy.
ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-221-3943 (State Relay: 711).
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1-800-221-3943 (State Relay: 711).
For further information about this policy, to request free disability and/or language aids and services, or to file a discrimination complaint, contact:
504/ADA Coordinator
1570 Grant St
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: 303-866-6010, Fax: 303-866-2828, State Relay: 711
Civil rights complaints can also be filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights electronically through the
Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal
or by mail, phone, or fax at:
1961 Stout Street Room 08-148
Denver, CO 80294
Telephone: 800-368-1019, Fax: 202-619-3818, TDD: 800-537-7697
Complaint forms are available online
.
For more information, please visit our website at
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