County Connections Newsletter
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This Department of Health Care Policy & Financing newsletter is designed 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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Letter from the Executive Director
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County Partners,
In honor of National Customer Service Week, we are focusing on the fourth pillar of our new Department of Health Care Policy & Finance (Department) performance plan this month:
Customer Service — Improve service to members, care providers and partners
Customer service is at the heart of everything we do at the Department. We serve many external and internal customers in our work — from our providers and members to the General Assembly and taxpayers. We have a responsibility to work toward continuous improvement to ensure we are serving all our customers well.
As outlined in our Department performance plan, the primary way we measure and report out on our progress in improving customer service is by looking at our Average Speed of Answer (sometimes called ASA) of telephone calls coming into our Medicaid provider service center. We are pleased to report that in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, we answered provider calls in an average of 42 seconds, exceeding our goal of 60 seconds or less.
Our full performance plan, including more detail on the five pillars and how we measure progress, is available
on
our website
.
Thank you for your continued partnership as we continually work toward our goal of improved customer service.
Kim Bimestefer
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SB19-005 Drug Importation Stakeholder Engagement Session for Consumers
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The Department will hold a stakeholder engagement session for consumers and providers to discuss SB19-005: Implementation of a Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program.
Details:
Monday, November 18, 2019
12:00 -2:00 p.m.
1570 Grant Street, Denver CO 80203
Hibiscus Conference Room
This session will also be available via webinar. Click
here
to register.
You can find more information on our
website
,
as well as a link to join our
mailing list
. Please feel free to share with others in your network who may be interested!
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Recent Memo Series Issued to Counties
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OM 19-049
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to provide clarification to Case Management Agencies (CMAs) and Eligibility sites regarding the process for determining a child’s eligibility for the Children’s Home and Community Based Services (CHCBS) Waiver.
OM 19-046
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to provide direction to Single Entry Point (SEP) agencies and nursing facilities regarding the start date for the Uniform Long Term Care (ULTC) 100.2 for members residing in a nursing facility and in process of Resident Review or Status Change.
OM 19-045
The purpose of this memo is to advise eligibility sites of changes to the returned mail process. This will replace the medical assistance process detailed in the Agency Letter HCPF 18-007 ‘Medical Assistance Returned Mail Process’, released by the Department on April 13, 2018.
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IM 19-060
The purpose of this memo is to inform stakeholders the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (Department) has posted the Request for Proposal (RFP), soliciting proposals from organizations who are interested in performing as a Single Entry Point (SEP) agency
IM 19-057
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to provide notice to Community Centered Board (CCB) and Single Entry Point (SEP) case managers of the new online critical incident training series available on the Department.
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HCPF Informational Updates
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Hospital Transformation Program Update
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Hospital Application
A draft of the Hospital Transformation Program (HTP)
hospital application
was posted to the HTP website. The draft application is based on current HTP design, which remains under development. The final application will be updated to reflect any changes to the program design based on collaboration with key stakeholders, members of the Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) Board and negotiations with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Community Advisory Council
As reported in a September 16, 2019
communication
to hospitals and stakeholders, the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) created a Community Advisory Committee with representation from across the state. An update about efforts and discussions can be found on an
informational memo
on the HTP website. The first meeting took place on September 27 in Denver.
Since that communication,
a Community Advisory Council page
has been created on the Department website. While the council meetings will be open to the public, as all HCPF meetings are, we are not intending to invite a broad group of stakeholders outside of invited council members representing consumers. Meeting agendas, summaries, and other information will continue to be posted on the HTP Community Advisory Council's webpage for those who would like to keep informed about this forum. In addition, we will continue to provide regular updates in our biweekly HTP newsletter.
As we approach submission of the HTP to our federal oversight partner, CMS, we will be hosting public forums where we will invite all stakeholders. Stay tuned to the HTP Newsletter for information about those public forums.
If you’d like to know more about the HTP, we encourage you to visit
the HTP website
as well as read past editions of the HTP Newsletter in
our online archives
. If you have additional questions about the HTP, please contact
Courtney Ronner
, Hospital Relations and Communication Manager, at 303-866-2699.
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The Process for Submitting a Disability Determination Application to Arbor (ARG)
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Arbor/ARG will no longer accept applications from Non-Department approved sources.
This is not a new process and has been outlined within the scope of the contract that the department holds with Arbor/ARG.
Reasons why:
10 CCR 2505-10 8.100.5.A(b)
The Medical assistance disability determination application shall be collected by a designated eligibility site representative and shall be forwarded to the state disability determination contractor upon completion. The state disability determination contractor shall conduct a client disability determination and shall forward the determination to the designated eligibility site representative.
It is the responsibility of Medical Assistance Sites/County Human Service offices to review the disability application for completeness prior to sending to the disability vendor.
- The State pays Arbor per application and when they receive applications from third-parties, they have no way to verify if there is a valid open Medicaid case on file or in process.
We discovered there were some exceptions being made to allow the acceptance of third-party applications previously, however the process has been clarified with the vendor while working with them on their contract this past spring.
As a reminder Arbor (ARG) will only accept applications from approved Medical Assistance Sites/County Human Service offices.
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NOTE:
The Medical Assistance Sites/County Human Service offices is responsible to send the Disability Application to ARG for processing.
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ARG will reject applications that do not conform to this process.
The department wants to ensure clarity with the enforced process. We appreciate your participation moving forward.
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Public Rule Review Meeting
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Public Rule Review meetings
are an opportunity for stakeholders to have one-on-one conversation with the Department's rule author regarding draft rules.
Public Rule Review meetings happen on the second Monday after the second Friday of each month. Stakeholders can attend in person or can e-mail feedback to the rule author before the rule goes to the Medical Services Board (MSB).
This does not take the place of public testimony at the MSB meeting and anyone who wishes is invited to come to the meeting to address the Board directly.
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County Grant & County Incentives Programs
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FY 2019-20 County Incentive Program
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FY 2019-20 County Grant Program
Quarter 2 grant check ins will be scheduled for late November and early December. Reach out to the County Team if you have any questions.
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Timeliness for September 2019
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Timeliness for all Medical Assistance
applications
was measured at
94.83 percent
.
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Timeliness for all Medical Assistance
redeterminations
was measured at
96.75 percent
.
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New Report on the Impact of Housing Security on Health
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A new analysis of housing trends in Colorado reveals that the health of Coloradans is closely tied to access to affordable, stable, accessible and quality housing. Residents across the state have been harmed by the rapid increase in housing costs, and that pinch has been acute for seven distinct demographic groups, the report found.
The report details how housing instability has a direct negative effect on the health and well-being of people of color, Coloradans with low incomes, families with children, people in rural areas, people with disabilities, immigrants without documentation and Coloradans experiencing homelessness. The report, “
Home Equity: A Vision of Housing Security, Health and Opportunity
” was produced by the Colorado Health Institute in partnership with a cohort of 18 Colorado nonprofit organizations. The average Colorado home price increased 77 percent in the past decade, researchers found, yet the state’s median income increased just 4.5 percent.
To improve housing opportunities throughout the state, the report outlines 11 promising policy ideas created in partnership with affected communities that state and local policymakers should consider. They range from local to state-level solutions and include ways to correct historic and current policies that have created today’s inequitable systems.
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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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