July 7, 2020
Monthly Notice of Memos Issued
This newsletter is designed for the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) to inform stakeholders about memo series issued within the past month.
Policy Memos
PM 20-004
The purpose for this policy memo is to communicate to eligibility sites about Continuous Enrollment due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency.
Operational Memos
OM 20-068
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to provide guidance to county departments of human/social services (county) on the FY 2020-21 County Incentives Program Eligibility Performance Incentive.
OM 20-067
The purpose of this operational memo is to advise eligibility sites of the increase to the Community Spouse Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) and Shelter Allowance.

Please share this letter with all eligibility staff, supervisors and administrators that manage nursing facilities, Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), the Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and other outside agencies as appropriate.
OM 20-066
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to inform Community Centered Board (CCB) Case Management Agencies (CMAs) of Critical Incident Reporting (CIR) requirements for the state general fund programs.
OM 20-065
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to provide guidance to county departments of human/social services (county) on the FY 2020-21 County Incentives Program Training and Quality Incentive
OM 20-064
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to provide guidance to county departments of human/social services (county) on implementation of the Continuous Eligibility Incentive as part of the FY 2020-21 County Incentives Program.
OM 20-063
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to update Providers and Case Management Agencies (CMAs) on the temporary changes to the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Non-Medical Transportation (NMT) benefit.
Informational Memos
IM 20-030
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to provide a notice to all Case Management Agencies and Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Provider Agencies of an online version of a training developed by The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (Department) entitled “Incident Management and Prevention Strategies.”
IM 20-029
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to inform stakeholders that the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver amendments and renewals submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in March 2020 were approved.
IM 20-028
The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (Department) is working with Schramm Health Partners, LLC dba ‘Optumas’ to develop a Person-Centered Budget Algorithm (PCBA) for Health First Colorado Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs. The Department is seeking applications for Technical Advisory Groups to work with Optumas on the development of the PCBA. In addition to the Technical Advisory Groups, the Department and Optumas will be holding statewide stakeholder meetings to inform and gather feedback from the broader stakeholder community.
IM 20-027
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to inform providers and Case Management Agencies of changes to rates for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) offered through HCBS waivers.
IM 20-026
This Informational Memo is intended to inform county human/social services directors of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing’s FY 2020-21 County Administration Allocation based on enhanced and non-enhanced Medicaid administration funding split.
IM 20-025
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to inform providers of nonresidential and children’s residential Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) of the upcoming rollout of the web-based platform on which they can complete their Provider Transition Plans (PTPs) and of upcoming trainings on how to complete their PTPs on this platform.
IM 20-024
On June 9, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced additional funding available through the Provider Relief Fund to eligible Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) providers, distributed through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). HHS expects to distribute approximately $15 billion to eligible providers that have not already received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund General Allocation.
IM 20-023
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to provide county Department of Human Service (DHS) agencies an update from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (Department) regarding closure of five Single Entry Point (SEP) agencies and information regarding the agencies that will be replacing them. Please see accompanying chart for agency information.
Review: Last Month Memo Series Issued
Policy Memos
PM 20-003
The purpose for this policy memo is to communicate to eligibility sites how the three new unemployment programs provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act are counted for income eligibility for the Medical Assistance based eligibility categories.

PM 20-002
The purpose of this Policy Memo is to inform eligibility sites of the income and resource eligibility rules for the CARES Act Recovery Rebate (also known as COVID-19 Economic Stimulus). This memo includes guidance for all Medical Assistance eligibility categories. Please share this memo with all eligibility staff, supervisors, and outside agencies, as appropriate
Operational Memos
OM 20-061
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to inform Case Management Agencies (CMAs) of changes in how Case Managers will assign benefit plans for Home and CommunityBased Services (HCBS) members with eligibility spans originating in Trails.

OM 20-060
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to provide clarification for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Community Connector (CC) and Supported Community Connections (SCC) Providers and Case Management Agencies (CMAs) on temporary changes approved by the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (Department) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

OM 20-059
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to inform Nursing Facilities (SNFs/NFs), Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF-IIDs), Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Alternative Care Facilities (ACF), HCBS Supportive Living Programs (SLP), HCBS Group Residential Support Services (GRSS), HCBS Individual Residential Support Services—Host Home (IRSS—Host Home) of directions related to the handling of Federal COVID-19 Stimulus payments

OM 20-058
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to inform county departments of human/social services of operational instructions to code expenditures to county administration during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

OM 20-057
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to inform HCBS Day Program Service Providers and CMAs of required provisions in the resumption of Day Program Services in a congregate setting. These provisions are applicable to the following services:
  • Adult Day Services
  • Day Habilitation
  • Day Treatment for the Brain Injury Waiver
  • Prevocational Services
  • Supported Employment – Group 

OM 20-056
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to inform Transition Coordination Agencies (TCA) of temporary changes to transition coordination activities as outlined in 10 CCR 2505-10, 8.763.C. These changes are specific to TCM-TC.

OM 20-055
This Operational Memo is for county administrators, and any State Designated Entity, or contractor who administers the NEMT benefit, as well as transportation providers who operate vehicles under NEMT. The purpose of this memo is to make transportation providers aware of new requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of Health First Colorado members.

OM 20-054
This Operational Memo is to inform options counseling contractors of temporary operational changes to options counseling requirements for face-to-face member contact and contract requirements.

OM 20-053
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to inform CMAs and providers of temporary operational changes to the Level of Care Assessment requirements for certain programs based on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

OM 20-052
This operational memo details changes to the way the Department will authorize enrollments into the Home and Community Based Services for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (HCBS-DD) waiver from the waiting list when one time appropriations are made by the Colorado General Assembly for enrollment authorizations.

The audience for this memo is CMAs and CCBs. The Department strongly encourages CMAs and CCBs to reach out directly to Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), their families, advocates and any community member interested in the HCBS-DD waiver waiting list to explain how these changes may impact their ability to access services and supports in the HCBS-DD waiver.

OM 20-051
The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (Department) announces operational details of the Live-in Caregiver exemption from the Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) mandate in Colorado.
Informational Memos
IM 20-022
The purpose of this Memo is to inform county departments of human/social services of grant funding available through the FY 2020-21 County Grant Program.

IM 20-021
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to inform Nursing Facilities (SNFs/NFs) of the opportunity to access Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) funds for the purposes of purchasing equipment for the purposes of resident electronic communication with friends and family.

IM 20-020
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to provide notice to all Case Management Agencies and Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Provider Agencies of an upcoming training developed by The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (Department) entitled “Incident Management and Prevention Strategies”.

IM 20-019
To facilitate the safe delivery of health care services to members throughout the state of emergency declared in response to the COVID-19 illness, the Departments of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF), Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) are empowered to authorize several temporary changes in order to expand efforts to combat COVID-19. This document is meant to serve as a guide to help providers navigate cross-agency flexibility in hiring and training healthcare staff. Providers are encouraged to visit the affiliate links detailed below for further information.
Colorado Dept. of Health Care Policy & Financing 
(303) 866-2993 | 1570 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203