May 3, 2017  |  Issue 5  |  Volume 2
Medicaid e-News
Important Announcement:
Changes are Coming to the Adult Medicaid Dental Program  
Oral health is an important but often neglected part of overall health, particularly for adults. Adult dental coverage is an optional benefit under Medicaid. As a result, adult dental benefits and access vary significantly across states. As of 2015, Iowa was one of only 15 states to offer extensive adult dental benefits.
 
On December 13, 2016, a Request for Information (RFI) was issued regarding the delivery of dental services for the Dental Wellness Plan (DWP) and adult Medicaid members.  Responses were received from 22 stakeholders. All RFI respondents showed interest in a simplified program design to streamline administration and ease confusion. 
 
Effective July 1, 2017, all Iowa Medicaid adults, age 19 and older, will be combined into one streamlined dental program, the Dental Wellness Plan (DWP). Learn more by viewing the documents below:

Reminder:
Public Comment Meeting: Sioux City 
The Iowa Department of Human Services continues holding public comment meetings to gather input on the IA Health Link managed care program. Meetings are held once per month, in varying locations throughout Iowa. Access the IA Health Link Public Comment Meetings webpage for more information.

The next public comment meeting will take place  at Western Iowa Tech Community College, 4647 Stone Ave., Sioux City, IA 51106 , on June 13, 2017, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Help get the word out in your community by printing and posting a flyer available for download here!

Provider Tools and Resources:
Prior Authorization Summary by Plan 
The Iowa Medicaid Enterprise (IME) has put together a prior authorization (PA) summary by plan. Providers can quickly view and compare PA requirements for each plan with this easy-to-use chart. This chart has been updated with the most current requirements for each Managed Care Organization (MCO). View the PA requirements by plan here.
 
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:


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. 

For more information, please see Informational Letter 1650-MC available here.
 
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.

Member Services
Provider Services
Iowa Medicaid Provider Services
1-800-338-7909
FINAL NOTICE: Provider Enrollment Renewal
Provider enrollment renewal is an Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement for all providers in order to stay active with the Iowa Medicaid Enterprise (IME). This includes providers who were previously enrolled with Magellan and who recently enrolled with the IME. 

More information is available here.


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