ATTENTION: NC SENIOR LIVING ASSOCIATION COVID-19 UPDATE 3/23/20
Below are recent developments regarding COVID-19. Providers are encouraged to check the
NCDHHS COVID-19 webpage
for the latest updates regarding the virus and the state's response.
- Governor Cooper issues Executive Order 120 - This afternoon, Governor Cooper announced another Executive Order to close K-12 public school statewide through May 15, bans mass gatherings over 50 people, closes some businesses such as spas, gyms and other settings. The Order was not available as of this writing but will be available at the Governor's website.
- Governor Cooper asks for health care volunteers to assist with COVID-19. In addition, the memorandum (click here), it also states that:
- Local Health care Facilities affected by COVID-19 and in need of support can request assistance through their local (county) Emergency Management program. Local (county) Emergency Managers may have the ability to fulfill the support requested within the county. State operated facilities should work through their state agency to route staffing support through their agency to the State Emergency Operations Center. Health care facilities seeking assistance should work with their local county Emergency Managers and be prepared to provide detailed information of the need (avoid requesting specific assets to allow maximum flexibility and increase the likelihood that the request can be filled). Depending upon the type of request and the scope of the event, an affected facility may receive help from any or all of the HCCs. All requests for assistance, including supplies, equipment or personnel, are reviewed by the HCCs, Office of Emergency Management Services (OEMS) and North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM).
- Medicaid PCS Update - NCSLA received the following update today regarding the Medicaid PCS program as it relates to COVID-19 and its effect on assessments and initial requests. Medicaid is in the process of crafting a detailed Medicaid Bulletin, which NCSLA will notify providers after it is issued.
- Face-to-Face Assessments: All face-to-face assessments from Liberty Healthcare (LHC) are cancelled.
- Annual Assessments: For beneficiaries due for their annual assessment, prior authorization (PA) will be extended for 90 days. Face-to-face assessments will be scheduled at a later date.
- Initial Requests: Beneficiaries may continue to submit initial requests Personal Care Services; LHC will conduct a mini-assessment by phone with the beneficiary or legally responsible person and beneficiary may receive up to 80 hours. The questions asked on the mini-assessment are those currently used for expedited requests.
- Change of Status (COS) Assessments: Beneficiaries and providers may continue to submit COS requests. LHC will process and conduct an assessment by phone. LHC will then walk the beneficiary through the assessment and complete the COS. This will allow those who have a change in condition to receive the support needed.
- Expedited Requests – Expedited requests from beneficiaries in the process of being discharged from a hospital or Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), under Adult Protective Services, or are served through transition to community living (TCLI) will process as normal; however, LHC will work to process in one business day instead of two.
- Other issues - Medicaid has received several questions regarding supervisory visits , errands, and other program allowances that will be addressed in the upcoming Bulletin. Please send questions and policy-related COVID-19 questions to Medicaid.COVID19@dhhs.nc.gov.
- Hospital to Post-Acute Care Facility Transfer – COVID-19 Assessment - As many acute care hospitals discharge patients to the post-acute environment, i.e. adult care homes, NCSLA has received calls from adult care providers that are questioning how to assess patients prior to agreeing to admit them in light of COVID-19. We received a tool (Click Here) recently that is being used in Florida, which providers, in collaboration with the hospital requesting to discharge the patient, may consider using to help assess and screen patients prior to admitting them into their adult care homes. The tool provides an algorithm, which we believe may be useful to providers.
- Medication aide testing clarification - As noted in the 3/20/20 NCSLA COVID-19 Update we have heard from a number of providers this week that medication aide testing has been cancelled for some individuals previously scheduled to take the test as required by law and rules. According to DHSR, they are limiting the number of individuals at each test site to 10 people (1 DHSR staff to administer the tests and 9 individuals taking the test) and are having to cancel the tests for some in order to achieve the limit. Please note that General Statute 131D-4.5B(b)(3) allows individuals up to 60 days to take the test (not 90 days as previously reported) but when asked, DHSR informed NCSLA this morning that they would not cite providers if employees go over the limit due to the COVID-19 situation and are working on options to possibly provide more additional testing opportunities. NCSLA will provide more information regarding this issue as it becomes available.
- Medicaid Bulletins on Telehealth - Medicaid released a Bulletin article last Friday specifically addressing Telehealth, which may assist adult care and family care homes with primary care and other services for their residents. There are three telehealth modalities referenced within the bulletin, defined as:
- Telemedicine: Telemedicine is the use of two-way real-time interactive audio and video to provide and support health care when participants are in different physical locations.
- Telepsychiatry: Telepsychiatry is the use of two-way real–time interactive audio and video to provide and support psychiatric care when participants are in different physical locations.
- Virtual Patient Communication: Virtual Patient Communication is the use of technologies other than video to enable remote evaluation and consultation support between a provider and a patient or a provider and another provider. Covered virtual patient communication services include telephone conversations (audio only); virtual portal communications (e.g., secure messaging); and store and forward (e.g., transfer of data from beneficiary using a camera or similar device that records (stores) an image that is sent by telecommunication to another site for consultation).
- Number of COVID-19 cases - According the the NCDHHS COVID-19 website,cases of COVID-19 continue to increase in our state and are now found in 45 counties (counties listed below are east to west and more than 2 cases are denoted in red):
- Pasquotank - 1 case
- Carteret - 4 cases
- Brunswick - 5 cases
- New Hanover - 4 cases
- Onslow - 1 case
- Craven - 2 cases
- Pitt - 3 cases
- Sampson - 1 case
- Wilson - 3 cases
- Nash - 1 case
- Wayne - 1 case
- Johnston - 3 cases
- Harnett - 9 cases
- Cumberland - 2 cases
- Chatham - 3 case
- Franklin - 4 cases
- Granville - 1 case
- Vance - 1 case
- Wake - 46 cases
- Durham - 40 cases
- Orange - 6 cases
- Alamance - 3 cases
- Lee - 1 case
- Hoke - 1 case
- Moore - 2 cases
- Scotland - 1 case
- Hoke - 1 case
- Richmond - 1 case
- Guilford - 11 cases
- Randolph - 1 case
- Forsyth - 12 cases
- Davidson - 2 case
- Davie - 1 case
- Rowan - 2 case
- Union - 12 cases
- Cabarrus - 6 cases
- Mecklenburg - 79 cases
- Iredell - 6 cases
- Catawba - 1 case
- Gaston - 4 cases
- Lincoln - 1 case
- Watauga - 2 cases
- Henderson - 1 case
- Buncombe - 1 case
- Cherokee - 4 cases
- The NCDHHS, the CDC and others continue to provide excellent materials and timely guidance related to COVID-19. In addition, the NC Division of Public Health (DPH) and NC Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) will be holding weekly forums for health care facilities, home-based providers and others on Tuesdays from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Forums will begin Tuesday, 3/24/20 and will continue until they are no longer needed. Forums will be recorded and available to the public.
- During the forums, Subject Matter Experts from DPH will provide a quick update on any new developments and will then respond to questions received before or during the forum.
- Send any questions you would like for DPH Subject Matter Experts to be prepared to answer during the forum to questionsCOVID19forum@gmail.com - questions must be received no later than 5:00 on the Sunday prior to the call (3/22 this week).
- The forums will be structured to allow either webinar access through your computer OR traditional audio dial-in. PLEASE NOTE - Questions during the forum can only be submitted using the Q&A function using the webinar access through your computer.
- Click the following link to join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/988453520
- (NOTE: Use the Q&A function to submit questions during the live webinar. For audio-only access (mobile)
Dial +1-646-558-8656, ID: 988 453 520#
For audio-only access (office telephone)
Dial (646) 558-8656
Webinar ID: 988 453 520
Reducing resident exposure to individuals who are potentially infected with COVID-19 is of paramount importance since our residents are among the highest risk group for infection and mortality from this virus. Thank you and your staff for all you are doing to provide care to our residents during this difficult time in what we all hope will be a temporary event.
If you have questions concerning any aspect of this document, please do not hesitate to contact me at
jeff@ncseniorliving.org
or 919-787-2526.
Jeff Horton, Executive Director
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North Carolina Senior Living Association
4010 Barrett Dr., Ste. 102
Raleigh, NC 27609
919.787.3560
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