Benchmarks' Upcoming Webinars
Benchmarks' Foster, Adoption, & Residential (FAR) Committee Meeting: Legislative Agenda Development
Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Time: 9:00 am thru 10:30 am
Benchmarks' Medicaid Forum: Legislative Agenda Development
Date: Thursday, March 3, 2022
Time: 9:00 am thru 10:30 am
Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar with AmeriHealth Caritas PHP & Karen McLeod
Date: Friday, March 4, 2022
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am
Benchmarks' Thursday Child Welfare Membership Webinar with Lisa Cauley & Karen McLeod
Date: Thursday, March 10, 2022
Time: 8:00 am thru 9:00 am
Benchmarks' Friday Webinar
Dave Richard Joins Karen McLeod
Date: Friday, March 18, 2021 thru December 16, 2022
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am
(This registration is for a recurring meeting)
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Message from Benchmarks' President/CEO: Karen McLeod
Benchmarks Members:
Special Bulletin COVID-19 #226 was released from NC Medicaid to outline which temporary policies that allowed flexibilities under the Public Health Emergency would be made into permanent policy, which were scheduled to sunset March 31, 2022, and those that would be ending at/after the Federal Public Health Emergency ended.
Many of our members have already expressed concerns over some of the flexibilities that are scheduled to end March 31. We convened a small group of providers to discuss the bulletin and from this group gathered the specific items on the spreadsheet that they do not want to end March 31, 2022. See the sections highlighted in this attachment.
The group’s reasoning behind the request to extend the flexibilities fell into a couple of groups:
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Sunsetting the flexibility does not strengthen the service, but simply brings back unnecessary administrative burden that only exacerbates the financial and staffing challenges agencies are currently facing.
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North Carolina, like the rest of the nation, is facing an unprecedented workforce shortage in direct support workers and licensed staff for mental health and I/DD services at a time when the demand for services are growing. Providers need continued flexibility while navigating the staffing shortage to ensure access to care. Flexibilities around authorizations, re-authorizations, staffing ratios, supervision requirements and credentialing/licensing requirements are all crucial to the continued provision of services during this staffing crisis.
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The utilization of telehealth has been a core component in navigating the pandemic and providers have demonstrated that effective services can be provided both in-person and through telehealth modalities. Telehealth options removes barriers to care such as transportation, childcare, employment, and geography which have increased client compliance. Many clients would be at risk of needing higher levels of care, such as hospitalization, if the barriers to access were not removed by telehealth. Telehealth has also been an important tool in managing the staffing shortage as the reduction of travel and ability to serve clients through telehealth from their homes has been a compelling factor in choosing or staying in their job.
Benchmarks will be providing NC Medicaid feedback on these changes and we would like your feedback if there are additional sunset items you recommend not be changed, as well as, compelling reasons and/or examples to support that the flexibilities continue.
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Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar
with Debra Farrington & Karen McLeod
February 18, 2022
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Handouts from Tuesday, February 15, 2022:
Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Medicaid & Health Choice (Committee Website)
Handouts from Tuesday, February 15, 2022:
Joint Legislative Committee on Access to Healthcare & Medicaid Expansion (Committee Website)
Handouts from today, Friday, February 18, 2022
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Funding Opportunity: NCCARE360 Community Organizations and Network Support Agencies Health Equity Grants
The Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation (FHLI) invites organizations that are committed to delivering health and equity using NCCARE360 as a tool to foster community connections to apply for two separate grant opportunities currently available. Applicants must deliver services in one of the following counties: Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Orange, Vance, or Wake.
NCCARE360 is the first statewide coordinated care network to better connect individuals to local services and resources, allowing providers, insurers, and community organization (COs) to collaborate and coordinate care for their shared patients in real-time. NCCARE360 began implementation in early 2019 and was fully rolled out statewide in July 2020. NCCARE360 is a critical infrastructure that puts North Carolina in a stronger position to address the devastating impact of COVID-19 is having on so many residents and to help recovery efforts.
Since January 2020, NCCARE360 has grown its network to more than 2,500 organizations with more than 4,700 programs. In 2020, NCCARE360 was able to serve more than 41,000 unique individuals. As the need for services hasn’t slowed, neither has the work of the organizations who use NCCARE360.
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2020 Staff Stability Report and COVID-Supplement
National Core Indicators®- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI®-IDD), a collaboration between the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) and the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI), today released the 2020 Staff Stability Report and COVID-Supplement.
This report represents information from nearly 3,000 providers from 26 states and the District of Columbia offering an important picture of the circumstances faced by intellectual and developmental disabilities support providers during the height of the pandemic.
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Webinar: Updates on North Carolina’s Children and Families Specialty Plan - Feb. 17, 2022
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Medicaid Managed Care Webinar Series (Fireside Chat)
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NC DHHS Organizational Chart |
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Links to Materials and Recording from Feb. 2, 2022 Community Partners Webinar
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Money Follows the Person (MFP) Lunch and Learn Slides and Recording Link
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NCDSS Announces New Division of Child and Family Well-Being
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services this week announced the launch of the Division of Child and Family Well-Being to help achieve its vision of children who are healthy and who thrive in their homes, schools and communities. The new division was created to bring together programs and staff currently operating across multiple department divisions on a shared body of work and toward common goals.
Programs moving under the new Division of Child and Family Well-Being include:
- Nutrition programs for children, families and seniors (e.g., Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children/WIC; Food and Nutrition Services/SNAP; and the Child and Adult Care Food Program)
- Health-related programs and services for children (e.g., school health promotion; home visiting services; and programs for children and youth with special health care needs)
- School and community mental health services for children and youth (e.g., coordination with schools and services like System of Care that coordinate resources for children and families across multiple child service agencies)
- The Early Intervention/Infant-Toddler Program, which provides supports and services to young children with developmental delays or established conditions.
“The new division is another step forward in advancing whole child and family health and well-being,” said NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “Investing in families and children’s healthy development builds more resilient families, better educational outcomes and in the long term, a stronger society.”
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Announcing New NCDSS Adoptions Manager Susan Ahaus
The NCDSS Permanency Planning Section is pleased to share that Susan Ahaus has assumed the Adoptions Manager position with the Division, effective Feb. 7, 2022.
Susan comes to the Division with child welfare experience in two North Carolina counties, including supervision in Permanency Planning and Adoptions. She holds a Juris Doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Included in Susan’s portfolio as NCDSS Adoptions Manager is the IV-E Adoption Assistance Program, for which she will now serve as the primary contact for county leaders. For questions or concerns regarding IV-E Adoption Assistance, you can reach Susan at [email protected].
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In Case You Missed It: NC Food and Nutrition Services Participants Can Now Use Benefits for Online Purchases at 11 Grocery Stores
NCDHHS this week announced the Food and Nutrition Services program has expanded participation in the FNS Online Purchasing Program from seven retailers to 11. FNS recipients can access these 11 retailers online to make food purchases with their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards.
Authorized retailers in North Carolina accepting FNS EBT payments online are:
- Aldi
- Amazon
- BJ's Wholesale Club
- Carlie C's
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Compare Foods Clayton (newly participating)
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Deep Roots Market (newly participating)
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Earth Fare (newly participating)
- Food Lion
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Piggly Wiggly of Kinston, N.C. (HWY 258 N) (newly participating)
- Publix
- Walmart
FNS participants can use their EBT cards to purchase eligible food items from online retailers. Any additional charges that are not food items, such as service and delivery charges, cannot be paid for with EBT benefits. The FNS participant will be required to pay for the additional charges with another form of payment, such as a debit or credit card.
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Reminders
Practice Standards Virtual Open House Feb. 24
Join us Thursday, February 24, 2022 at 12:00 pm for our first Practice Standards Virtual Open House. Learn which Practice Standards training you should attend, when your training will take place, how you can prepare, and more.
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Call 1-408-638-0968 (Passcode: 3037850001#) or join via the web at https://zoom.us/j/3037850001. Registration is NOT required for the Open House.
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If you already have a question you’d like to ask during the Open House, please submit to [email protected]. We will also take and answer questions in real time during the Open House.
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To learn more about the Practice Standards, visit our website at ncpracticestandards.pubknow.com.
All state and local DSS staff are invited to join the discussion, share your thoughts, and get your questions answered.
National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) Survey due March 31
Local DSS staff and LINKS Coordinators are encouraged to continue working with their youth and young adults receiving LINKS services to ensure they complete the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) 2022A Survey before March 31, 2022. The survey takes 10-20 minutes to complete, and participants who provide their contact information receive a $50 incentive for completing the survey.
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Counties with survey-eligible young adults for the 2022A reporting period should work with their young adults to submit surveys online at surveymax.dhhs.state.nc.us/2022A or email completed surveys to [email protected] before the March 31 deadline.
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If you have any questions, please contact Shirley Williams, Special Programs Manager, at [email protected].
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New Medicaid Bulletins Available as of Feb. 15, 2022
The NC Division of Health Benefits (DHB) has recently published new Medicaid Bulletin articles:
- Updates to Clinical Coverage Policy 5B Orthotics and Prosthetics
- Attention Enrolling Providers: NEW NC Medicaid Provider Training is LIVE!
- Ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft Injection, for Subcutaneous Use (BESREMI®) HCPCS Code J3590: Billing Guidelines
- Inclisiran Injection, for Subcutaneous Use (Leqvio®) HCPCS Code J3490: Billing Guidelines
- Efgartigimod Alfa-fcab Injection, for Intravenous Use (VYVGART™) HCPCS Code J3590: Billing Guidelines
Providers are encouraged to review this information. All bulletin articles, including those related to COVID-19, are available on DHB's Medicaid Bulletin webpage.
EVV Stakeholder Meeting
NC Medicaid is hosting a stakeholder engagement meeting to share updates on the Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system. The meeting will include reviews and updates from our first year and plans for the addition of Home Health Services. NC Medicaid's EVV vendor Sandata, will also provide information. Stakeholders, providers and the public are encouraged to attend.
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January/February 2022 Issue of Federal Perspectives
Highlights in this issue include:
- CMS Issues Guidance on Targeted Disregards for Individuals in Need of HCBS
- CMS Grants to Increase Medicaid Enrollment Among Children, Address Racial Disparities
- CMS Issues Guidance on Mobile Crisis Services
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Effect of Offering Care Management or Online Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training vs Usual Care on Self-harm Among Adult Outpatients With Suicidal Ideation: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Question: Can low-intensity outreach programs, based on effective clinical interventions but delivered primarily online, prevent self-harm or suicidal behavior among outpatients reporting frequent suicidal ideation?
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Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Farm Families in Times of Economic Distress
Economic fluctuations and periods of distress in farming cannot be eliminated, however, their impact on communities and individuals can be mitigated by improving access to behavioral health and other support services.
The strategies offered here to support the development of systems and improved integration of services across health care and community-based organizations include (1) leveraging select payment systems and demonstrations to support coordinated care for families in distress, and (2) aligning grant programs from multiple federal agencies to address mental health and substance use disorders among farm families. Further, the existing rural health care infrastructure is inadequate to meet ongoing rural behavioral health needs, and has limited capacity to respond to surges in demand.
The strategies included here that relate to expanding behavioral health services in rural settings are: (3) integrating primary and behavioral care to provide initial treatment of mental health and substance abuse concerns, (4) expand the workforce to improve rural behavioral health services capacity, (5) increasing telehealth services and repurposing available space to expand access to behavioral health services, and (6) expanding private and public insurance coverage to improve access to essential behavioral health services.
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Getting Rid of the Misnomer: The Risks Behind the Term "1099 Employee"
While many employers use the term "1099 employee" as a means to distinguish independent contractors from the company's W-2 employees, no such term exists from a legal standpoint.
In fact, in addition to being inaccurate, this term is hazardous and could be costly for companies. A common mistake made by employers across the nation is misclassifying its workers as independent contractors as opposed to employees, and this issue is only exacerbated by erroneous terms such as "1099 employee." Though it may seem to many that calling workers "1099 employees" is merely a use of inexact terminology, it should be noted that this lack of precision could lead to pitfalls, such as failure to withhold and pay taxes, operating without proper insurance, and United States Department of Labor ("DOL") audits.
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Remote & Alternative Work Arrangements – Strategies for Success and Reducing Risk
Let’s face it: remote, hybrid, and alternative work arrangements are here to stay. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Though many employers already had accepted and adopted remote, hybrid, and alternative work arrangements before the COVID-19 pandemic (and the consequential quarantining that came with it), COVID-19 accelerated the need for workforce mobility and fundamentally changed who we hire and how, when, and where we work.
Remote work during COVID-19 wasn’t and isn’t a fad. Many companies have swiftly adapted and shifted to this landscape by reassessing their capabilities, building and leveraging infrastructure, and using cost savings to provide their employees with a better, more flexible work experience. Leveraging advancements in technology has given companies more choices in how they operate and where their employees work. Employers have seen that work at scale is achievable with alternative work arrangements, and workers have benefited from being home, feeling safer during the COVID pandemic, and not having to commute. Some companies have gone all-in on remote work, abandoning the brick-and-mortar altogether in favor of a fully virtual workplace.
Given the reception to and success of hybrid, remote, and alternative work solutions, virtual work arrangements are here to stay, and businesses need to embrace them.
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New: Thursday, February 24, 2022
LETTAC and DV RISC: New Resources to Address Gender-Based Violence
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:30 pm
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New: Monday, February 28, 2022
EVV Stakeholder Meeting
Time: 10:00 am thru 11:00 am
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New: Monday, February 28, 2022
Let's Talk: Relationships and Rollercoasters, Supporting People with IDD through Relationships – A Trauma-Informed Approach
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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New: Monday, February 28, 2022
Addressing Rural Health Needs: COVID-19, Equity and Access to Care
Time: 3:00 pm thru 4:00 pm
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Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Benchmarks' Foster, Adoption, Residential (FAR) Meeting: Legislative Agenda Development
Time: 9:00 am thru 10:30 am
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Thursday, March 3, 2022
Benchmarks' Medicaid Forum: Legislative Agenda Development
Time: 9:00 am thru 10:30 am
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New: Thursday, March 3, 2022
Essential Steps to Telehealth: Workshops to Help Improve or Sustain Your Program
Time: 12:00 pm thru 1:30 pm
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Thursday, March 3, 2022
ESSENTIAL STEPS TO TELEHEALTH: WORKSHOPS TO HELP IMPROVE OR SUSTAIN YOUR PROGRAM
Please join us virtually for an interactive workshop to learn more about telehealth in North Carolina. In this 90-minute workshop we will answer questions, provide information, and work through some common challenges that health care providers face when working with telehealth. This webinar is offered on multiple dates. This is an interactive session, so bring your questions and ideas!
Select one date from the following:
Thursday, March 3rd 12:00-1:30 PM
Wednesday, March 9th 9:00-10:30 AM
Event Password: telehealth
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Friday, March 4, 2022
Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar with AmeriHealth Caritas PHP & Karen McLeod
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am
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New: Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Convening & Mobilizing a Strong Coalition
Time: 12:00 pm thru 1:30 pm
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New: Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Essential Steps to Telehealth: Workshops to Help Improve or Sustain Your Program
Time: 12:00 pm thru 1:30 pm
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New: Thursday, March 10, 2022
Benchmarks' Child Welfare Webinar with Lisa Cauley & Karen McLeod
Time: 8:00 am thru 9:00 am
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New: Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Communicating the Value of Care Work
Time: 12:00 pm thru 1:30 pm
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