County Connections Newsletter
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This newsletter is designed for the Department to inform county directors, management and staff about county performance, policy changes, process updates, upcoming due dates, and more.
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High-Impact Policy and Process Updates
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CBMS Road to Transformation
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This month features an image that closely resembles what the Application Initiation home page will look like in the updated CBMS end-user interface.
The left-hand margin of the newsletter provides links that will allow you to learn more about CBMS Transformation:
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The next iteration of the Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC) is scheduled to begin
July 1, 2018
. The goals of the next phase are to improve member health and reduce costs.
The Department continues to prepare for the implementation of the next phase of the ACC and is working hard to ensure a smooth transition of the program. For a timeline of the Department's major activities related to Phase II, visit
CO.gov/HCPF/ACCPhase2
.
New webinars and fact sheets, including contracting guidance, have been made available on
CO.gov/HCPF/ACCPhase2
.
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The Department has issued two Agency Letters on Fraud:
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IEVS and Reasonable Compatibility Webinars
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In June 2018, the Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) will implement updates and enhance the Income Eligibility Verification System (IEVS) and its use of Reasonable Compatibility for Medical Assistance categories. This will include implementing a reasonable compatibility check for Non-MAGI categories.
This effort will align system functionality with policy ensuring that Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) income records are considered appropriately for both MAGI and Non-MAGI categories.
This project is not changing the policy or rules for when an IEVS letter is sent.
Members receive an IEVS letter when their self-reported income and the amount their employer reports to CDLE are significantly different or, more precisely, not reasonably compatible.
The individual is asked to provide an explanation of why the numbers are different, and/or to provide proof that the income received through IEVS is inaccurate.
The Department hosted a Webinar on April 3, 2018 to discuss the updates and enhancements of this project. The Department posted the webinar in the
FAQ and Training
section under the Income and Eligibility section. Click the
link
for the webinar.
This webinar is
not
eligible for the FY 2017-18 Training Incentive.
The SDC will release an eligible training in June 2018 on CO.Learn/LMS.
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Federal Criminal Background Check
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On May 1, 2018, DXC Technology will begin mailing official requests for fingerprint submissions from providers enrolled in a provider type with 'high' categorical risk.
Providers must send their fingerprints by June 1, 2018 or face termination of their enrollment.
Providers cannot fingerprint themselves; fingerprints must be obtained from a law enforcement agency. Providers should
contact their local law enforcement agencies
to verify the agency has fingerprinting services available and to identify the associated cost.
Once the fingerprint card has been completed, mail the completed card(s) to:
DXC Technology
Attn: Provider Enrollment - Fingerprinting
P.O. Box 30
Denver, CO 80201
Original Applicant Fingerprint Cards must be sent directly to DXC for processing. Photocopies, faxes, emails and electronic versions of the Applicant Fingerprint Card will not be accepted.
Original Applicant Fingerprint Cards are currently being accepted.
You may send your original Applicant Fingerprint Card at any time. All original Applicant Fingerprint Cards must be sent by June 1, 2018.
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HCPF Department Updates - Informational
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Annual Change to Income Guidelines
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Effective April 1, 2018 the Department has updated the maximum monthly income guideline charts for Medical Assistance programs. These income guideline charts for these programs are based on Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and are updated annually as the FPL is adjusted. The Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) has been adjusted to reflect the new income guidelines for Health First Colorado and CHP+ according to the charts.
Please see our website for accompanying agency letters
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Updates on Legislative Session
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Our first Department agenda bill this session,
SB18-093
, has been signed by the Governor. Additionally, three other Department bills have been officially introduced, including
HB18-1288
(conflict-free case management for single-entry points),
HB18-1326
(cost savings through transition services and community living) and
HB18-1328
(redesign of the Children’s Habilitation Residential Program waiver). Both HB18-1326 and HB18-1328 were sponsored by the Joint Budget Committee and have been sent to the Governor for signature.
- Align Managed Care Statute with Federal Regulations
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Behavioral Therapy Update for Providers
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Recently through our ongoing partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department and CMS clarified that members receiving behavioral services through a waiver must transition to Pediatric Behavioral Therapies as soon as a provider is available.
If you are currently a waiver provider and an approved Pediatric Behavioral Therapies provider, then you must transition waiver behavior services to Pediatric Behavioral Therapies immediately unless an extension has been approved on a case by case basis.
In order to prevent a gap in services, if you are not authorized to provide Pediatric Behavioral Services and do not plan to become a provider, you will need to assist members to transition to a provider who is authorized to provide Pediatric Behavioral Services. Due to the number of children and youth who will transition prior to June 30, 2018 you are encouraged to complete this transition as soon as possible rather than waiting until June.
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RHCs help the homeless
Three
regional health connectors
(RHCs), which are 70% funded by the
Colorado State Innovation Model
, helped bring vital screenings to vulnerable residents in Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas counties this past winter. Blood pressure screenings were among the many services that Tri-County Health Department provided to homeless individuals during the annual Point in Time Survey in the metro Denver area, thanks to the work of RHCs Meghan Prentiss, Kaitlin Wolff and Laura Don.
Read the full story here
.
This is just one example of how RHCs connect public health, human services, healthcare providers and other community groups to improve health.
Connect with your local RHC
to learn how he or she can help practices strengthen their partnerships with community resources.
Rolling out the SIM eCQM extraction service
Colorado State Innovation Model
(SIM) practices be the first to test a service that automatically extracts electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) from electronic health records (EHRs) in June and July. This technical and operational platform will extract eCQMs from EHRs once and report them to different approved entities, a task that is frequently cited as a barrier to success with alternative payment models. Learn more about this exciting work by listening to a new
episode
of the SIM podcast series,
Innovation Insights
.
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County Grant & County Incentives Programs
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The last
External Incentives Deliberation
for FY 2018-19 incentives will occur on
Wednesday, April 25th
. The two incentives discussed will be the Case Maintenance Incentive and the Improved Member Correspondence Incentive.
If you wish to participate and have not yet been sent an invite, please contact the county team.
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The County Grant Program's
Year End Report Out
is approaching! Counties who were granted during the FY 2017-18 cycle will present their grant projects at the Department.
The Year End Report Out is a two day event and will take place from
8:00 am - 4:00 pm on Tuesday, 5/29 and Wednesday, 5/30
.
County Grant Projects will be posted on the
County Admin website
after the event is over. Contact information for each grantee will be provided.
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Timeliness for March 2018
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Timeliness for all Medical Assistance
applications
was measured at
95.93 percent
. The Department and its county partners have registered 45 consecutive months above 95 percent timeliness.
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Timeliness for all Medical Assistance
redeterminations
was measured at
98.92 percent
. The Department and its county partners have registered 26 consecutive months above 95 percent timeliness.
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Connect for Health Colorado
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The Executive Committee of Connect for Health Colorado voted to support a bill introduced this week in the state Legislature aimed at
lowering premiums for buyers in the individual health insurance market through creation of a reinsurance program.
The program envisioned in
HB-1392
would assist health insurance companies with high cost claims to keep premium increases down.
Containing premium costs through a reinsurance program is of particular benefit to buyers who do not qualify for tax credit help and is aligned with Connect for Health Colorado’s mission to “increase access, affordability and choice” to Coloradans buying health insurance.
Information on the legislation is here
.
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Go to your county’s snapshot to see updated rankings and new data for all the measures we track. Be on the lookout for new features, including:
- Updated data on the Leading Causes of Death – select the icon next to the “Premature death” measure in your snapshot to see updated values.
- Easy-to-find demographic breakdowns – for selected measures (such as Diabetes monitoring, Mammography screening, Children in poverty, Median household income, and Driving alone to work, and more), click on the county value for the measure to see a breakdown by racial/ethnic groups.
- New trend graphs for our Uninsured measures – we’ve added graphs that show you changes over time for our Additional Clinical Care Measures; see those in your county’s Snapshot.
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Eligible applicants are domestic public and private not-for-profit entities. For example:
- State governments and territories (the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau).
- Governmental units within political subdivisions of a state, such as a county, city or town (e.g., local education agencies, law enforcement agencies, fire department agencies, emergency medical units).
- Federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes, tribal organizations, Urban Indian Organizations, and consortia of tribes or tribal organizations.
- Community- and faith-based organizations, including those that serve veterans, armed services personnel, and their families.
- Public or private universities and colleges....
Anticipated Total Available Funding: $15,801,221
Anticipated Number of Awards: Up to 126
Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $125,000 per year
Length of Project: Up to 3 years
Cost Sharing/Match Required?: No
Proposed budgets cannot exceed $125,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project.
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Department Contacts & Resources
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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).
CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 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
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Colorado Dept. of Health Care Policy & Financing
(303) 866-2993 | 1570 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203
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