County Connections Newsletter
|
|
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
|
|
Message from the Executive Director
|
|
Stakeholders and Partners:
In early January, the Department had the opportunity to
present
our
performance plan
and provide updates on our goals to the Health Committees in the House and Senate. We have made significant progress together in improving the lives of the Coloradans we serve. A few examples include, reducing opioid use, reducing call wait times in our provider and member call centers, improving access to care by increasing the number of enrolled providers serving our members, increasing usage the PEAK mobile app, improving our analytic systems to better identify members who need the most support, and creating pathways for our Regional Accountable Entities (RAEs) partners to better respond to those needs.
We are excited to continue to make progress on the strategic focus areas outlined below.
- Member Health
- Customer Service
- Operational Excellence
- Medicaid Cost Control
- Health Care Affordability for Coloradans
The Department's
budget
and
legislative
agendas will continue to move this important work forward. For more information visit our legislative resource center online.
|
|
Health Care Policy and Financing Transition to Google
|
|
The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) transitioned from Outlook to Google on January 13, 2020.
Email Addresses:
- To contact Department staff, be sure to use @state.co.us
- Other emails outside of @state.co.us may not reach their destination
Encrypted Emails:
|
|
HCPF Regional Meetings on Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Capacity
|
|
SUD partners and stakeholders:
On behalf of the Department, thank you for your interest in the ongoing series of Regional SUD Capacity Stakeholder meetings. This is a reminder of the upcoming regional meetings as follows:
Fort Morgan - RESCHEDULED
Date: Friday, March 6, 2020
Time: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Venue: Room 214, Centennial Mental Health Center
821 East Railroad Avenue, Fort Morgan, CO 80701
Steamboat Springs - RESCHEDULED
March 20, 2020, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Venue: Routt County Commissioners' Hearing Room, Third Floor, 522 Lincoln Avenue, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
Call in option:
877-820-7831, Participant Code 946029#
To RSVP and view additional information about these or other regional stakeholder meetings, please visit the Department’s SUD webpage,
Ensuring a Full Continuum of SUD Benefit
s
. (Note: RSVP links will close approximately one week before the date of the meeting. Please be advised meetings may be cancelled for inclement weather, low RSVPs/projected attendance, or for other unforeseen circumstances)
Please reach out to
Shingo Ishida
if you have any questions or if you require any additional information. Thank you again for your interest with the regional stakeholder meetings.
|
|
SB 19-195 Update: Enhancing Children and Youth Behavioral Health Services
|
|
Dear Children and Youth Behavioral Health Stakeholders,
Our next stakeholder forum for Senate Bill (SB) 19-195 will be held on Monday, March 9, 2020 from 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. This forum will be co-hosted by the Department and the Office of Behavioral Health. The purpose of the meeting will be to present information on the bill, share updates, and facilitate dialogue of stakeholder input. Please register to attend using one of the methods below.
Option 1: Register to attend in person
Register for in person attendance
online
. The forum will take place at the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing, 303 E 17th Ave., 7th Floor, Conference Room 7ABC, Denver, CO 80203
Please note the meeting is at the Department's 303 E 17th location and not the 1570 Grant location with several options for nearby parking including free two-hour street parking, metered two-hour parking, and several pay-to-park lots nearby.
Option 2: Register to attend via webinar
Register for webinar attendance
online
. Upon registration you will receive a confirmation email with calendar invite that links to the webinar page and telephone call-in instructions.
Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request for persons with disabilities. Please notify
Brett Snyder
or the
504/ADA Coordinator
at least one week prior to the meeting.
Thank you for your continued interest in this work, and we look forward to seeing you.
|
|
Non-Emergent Medical Transportation (NEMT) Request for Proposals (RFP) Posted
|
|
The Request for Proposal (RFP) for a statewide broker to administer the Non-Emergent Medical Transportation (NEMT) benefit was posted on February 5, 2020 on the Vendor Self Service (VSS) Portal.
The RFP closes on March 9, 2020 at 3 p.m.
|
|
Program Improvement Advisory Committees (PIACs)
|
|
The public has the opportunity to engage in two Program Improvement Advisory Councils related to the Accountable Care Collaborative..
- The Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC) PIAC is held monthly and is made up of stakeholders who provide guidance and make recommendations to help improve health, access, cost and satisfaction of members and providers in the ACC. These meetings are open to the public. More information can be found on the PIAC Website.
- As part of our broader PIAC community, each RAE is creating regional PIACs and Member Experience Advisory Committees (MEACs). For more information about each committee, please visit their regional websites.
Reasonable accommodations for the meetings will be provided upon request for persons with disabilities. Please contact the Program Administrator at least one week prior to the scheduled meeting if you need accommodations
|
|
Public Charge Rule & Resources
|
|
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's public charge rule went into effect on Monday, February 24.
This rule changes which public benefits may be taken into consideration in some immigration determinations. This rule may impact members of Colorado's immigrant communities.
|
|
Recent Memo Series Issued to Counties
|
|
OM 20-011
The purpose of this memo is to clarify to county departments of human/social services (county) the deliverable requirements and necessary information to earn the fiscal year 2019-20 Cybersecurity Incentive.
OM 20-010
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to notify SEP agencies of finalized rates which consist of Fee for Service (FFS) per deliverable payment and Per Member Per Month (PMPM) reimbursement for ongoing case management services effective on July 1, 2020.
OM 20-009
The purpose of this Operational Memo is to inform county departments of human/social services (county) of operational instructions to implement the Food Security Incentive as part of the FY 2019-20 County Incentives Program.
OM 20-004
The purpose of this Operational Memo (OM) is to inform county departments of human/social services of operational instructions relating to the use of the Work Number income verification system for Medical Assistance-only cases and provide direction if the expenditures related to these verifications are eligible for Federal Financial Participation (FFP) and reimbursement with State funds.
|
|
IM 20-012
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to inform all stakeholders of proposed revisions to the Home and Community-Based Services - Children's Habilitation Residential Program (HCBS-CHRP) waiver.
IM 20-008
The purpose of this Informational Memo is to inform county departments of human/social services of instructions to access funding under the FY 2019-20 County Grant Program Targeted Grants.
|
|
Amanda Lofgren Appointed Director of Case Management & Quality Performance Division
|
|
The Department is pleased to announce the appointment of Amanda Lofgren to Director of the Case Management & Quality Performance in the Division in the Office of Community Living (OCL). As many of you know, she was initially hired in August 2019 as Director of the OCL Strategic Outcomes Division.
Prior to her work with the Department, Lofgren lived and worked in Alaska for approximately 12 years in the health and human services field, including eight years with the state of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. In this work, she developed expertise and had success in collaborating with stakeholders on numerous long-term services and supports (LTSS) system change efforts, including Case Management Redesign and Conflict-Free Case Management.
While in Alaska, Lofgren also worked for five years as a Program Officer at the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. Her work there included, among other things, collaborative work with Alaskan tribes and a focus on LTSS. She was also a part of the state leadership team overseeing the development and implementation of Medicaid reform and expansion.
Although new to the Department and OCL, during the fall, Lofgren immediately stepped up to the challenge of assisting in covering the vacant Case Management & Quality Performance Division Director position. Her deep experience, strong team leadership skills and experience in case management have quickly made her a valuable part of the leadership team in OCL.
Having previously lived in Colorado, Lofgren says she is glad to return. She lives in the Denver area with her husband, two kids and dogs. She enjoys spending time camping, skiing, biking, horseback riding, spending time with her family and volunteering. She can be reached at
Amanda.Lofgren@state.co.us
.
|
|
Changes to Medicaid Card Mailing Address
|
|
The Changes to Medicaid Card Mailing Address guide
explains how the mailing address to physically send out a Medicaid Card is determined – after Release 5 of Modernized Trails. An issue with locating a Medicaid Card for a client may prompt the need to use this guide.
As of the Modernized Trails Resource release on January 18-19, 2020, the Service Level
Address will no longer be used as the mailing address for sending Medicaid Cards. Instead, an address hierarchy as described in the attached document will be used to determine the mailing address.
|
|
Hospital Transformation Program (HTP) Update
|
|
Update on federal authorities
On December 31, 2019, the the Department submitted the Hospital Transformation Program (HTP) 1115 demonstration waiver application and State Plan Amendment to CMS. We’d like to thank stakeholders, hospitals and community partners for their participation in the process. The next steps in the process involve a 30-day federal comment period and well as the Department working with CMS to address any questions that arise during this period.
The waiver is currently posted for federal public comment on the
CMS website
and public comment period will be open from January 10, 2020 through February 9, 2020.
HTP Road Show training for hospitals
The HTP team will be traveling around the state for in-person trainings to review the requirements and answer questions for hospitals participating in the HTP. Please mark your calendars or contact
Joe Sekiya
, Hospital Transformation Project Coordinator, for additional information.
- Thursday, February 27 from – University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver
- Friday, February 28 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Yuma District Hospital in Yuma
- Thursday, March 5 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. - St. Mary's Medical Center in Grand Junction
- Friday, March 6 from 1p.m. to 5 p.m.- Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs
- Friday, March 13 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. - Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida
Measures updates
At the end of January, updated versions of HTP Measures list, Measures Overview, Scoring Framework and Measures Specifications were posted to the
HTP website
under the “Hospital Transformation Program Overview & Framework” section.
For additional information, 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 questions about the HTP, please contact
Courtney Ronner
,
Hospital Relations and Communication Manager.
|
|
High-fidelity Wraparound Services Training
|
|
Hello Long-Term Services and Supports Stakeholders,
The Home and Community-Based Services- Children's Habilitation Residential Program (HCBS-CHRP) waiver offers two new exciting services to support children and youth to remain in the family home or return to the family from an out-of-home placement. These are the Intensive Support Wraparound Facilitation service and the Transition Support Wraparound Facilitation service.
A Wraparound Facilitator is required to complete training and credentialing through a Wraparound training program. COACT Colorado at the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health has announced their Wraparound training program dates for February, March, April, June, and July 2020.
If you are interested in becoming a CHRP provider or are an existing CHRP provided interested in providing Wraparound services, please contact Michele Craig
via email
or phone at 303-800-5147 for more information.
|
|
Third Party Liability (TPL) Desk Aid Available
|
|
The Staff Development Center has released a
Third Party Liability (TPL) Desk Aid
for county eligibility staff. You can access the released materials through the
Center's website
in the Document Library.
For TPL, it is crucial that eligibility workers update the correct sections of CBMS with the customer’s information to be sure the customer’s benefits are being accurately calculated. This
Desk Aid
was created to assist eligibility workers in navigating this process.
If you need additional information or have questions regarding this communication, please contact the
Staff Development Center
.
|
|
Public Rule Review Meeting
|
|
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 take place 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.
|
|
County Grants & County Incentives Programs
|
|
FY 2019-20 County Incentive Program
New Resources
- Monthly Aggregate data for the Food Security Incentive be found on the County Admin webpage under "Incentives Program Data"
- January's Case Maintenance Data reports have been posted to the County Admin webpage under "Incentives Program Data"
Updates
- The Department will send counties a list of all individuals subject to the Training Incentive requirements and a separate list of training completions as soon as they become available.
|
|
FY 2019-20 County Grant Program
- Quarter 3 grant check ins are scheduled for March.
- The Quarterly Check In matrix has changed! Please use the updated form when turning in quarterly check in documentation.
MA Supervisor Backlog Targeted Grant
- 25+ counties and 125+ supervisors opted into the Department's targeted grant to help counties work their Medicaid backlog.
- Signed copies of the targeted grant contracts have been sent out
- Please submit monthly progress reports so we can track outcomes and expenditures.
- If there are counties that haven’t spent their MA supervisor funding, let us know so we can reallocate that to others that do.
|
|
Timeliness for January 2020
|
|
Timeliness for all Medical Assistance
applications
was measured at
91.63 percent
.
|
|
Timeliness for all Medical Assistance
redeterminations
was measured at
92.56 percent
.
|
|
Department Contacts & Resources
|
|
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
|
|
Colorado Dept. of Health Care Policy & Financing
(303) 866-2993 | 1570 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
