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Upcoming Benchmarks' Webinars
This Week: Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar
Date: Friday, February 19, 2021
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:00 am
Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar Dave Richard Joins Karen McLeod
Date: Friday, March 5, 2021
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:00 am
Benchmarks' Membership Child Welfare Webinar
Lisa Cauley Joins Karen McLeod
Date: Thursday, March 11, 2021
Time: 8:00 am thru 9:00 am
Register Here
Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar
Date: Friday, March 19, 2021
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:00 am
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Tailored Care Management Certification Deadline Extended to June 1, 2021
To continue supporting providers interested in obtaining certification as a Tailored Care Management Advanced Medical Home Plus (AMH+) practice or Care Management Agency (CMA), the Department is extending the Round 1 application deadline from March 1, 2021 to June 1, 2021.
The Department plans to use this additional time to engage stakeholders in additional listening sessions and educational opportunities. More Information will also be provided on the certification process, capacity-building funds, technical assistance and the rate model for AMH+/CMAs.
The Department believes that Tailored Care Management is critical to ensuring that Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disability (I/DD) Tailored Plan members obtain integrated, well-coordinated care. Over the next several months, the Department will continue working to empower providers to successfully implement the model and will offer opportunities for additional education.
The Department appreciates interest and feedback to date from providers and other stakeholders on the Tailored Care Management model. Thank you for your help in supporting NC Medicaid beneficiaries and providers.
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DME Providers May Resubmit Claims for Procedure Code A7048
With approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI), NCCI Medically Unlikely Edits (MUEs) have been deactivated for all benefit plans for procedure code A7048 - VACUUM DRAINAGE COLLECTION UNIT AND TUBING KIT, INCLUDING ALL SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR COLLECTION UNIT CHANGE, FOR USE WITH IMPLANTED CATHETER, EACH for Durable Medical Equipment (DME) claims.
Affected DME providers are encouraged to resubmit claims previously denied for this procedure code.
Special Bulletins COVID-19 #156 and #157, New Medicaid Bulletins, and Feb. Pharmacy Newsletter Available
SPECIAL BULLETINS COVID-19 #156 and #157 Available
The NC Division of Health Benefits (DHB) has recently published two Medicaid Bulletin articles related to COVID-19:
SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #156: Clinical Policy 1E-7, Family Planning Services, COVID-19 Lab Testing for MAFDN Beneficiaries
Effective June 1, 2020, NC Medicaid began reimbursing COVID-19 testing for "Be Smart" Family Planning (MAFDN) beneficiaries through the NC Medicaid Optional COVID-19 Testing (MCV) Program. NC Medicaid is adding codes into NC Tracks for lab testing coverage for MAFDN beneficiaries with retroactive effective dates.
SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #157: Final Reconciliation of Nursing Home Staff Testing Payments Authorized Under Secretarial Orders 2 and 4
NC Medicaid is initiating its final phase of reconciling projected versus actual testing cost submission activity for nursing home staff testing payments authorized under Secretarial Orders 2 and 4 on March 1, 2021.
Providers are encouraged to review this information. All bulletin articles, including those related to COVID-19, are available on DHB's Medicaid Bulletin webpage.
New Medicaid Bulletins Available as of Feb. 16, 2021
The NC Division of Health Benefits (DHB) has recently published new Medicaid Bulletin articles:
- Tailored Care Management Certification Deadline Extended to June 1, 2021
- Billing Code Update for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants
- Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP/C) Waiver Renewal Stakeholder Engagement
Providers are encouraged to review this information. All bulletin articles, including those related to COVID-19, are available on DHB's Medicaid Bulletin webpage.
February Pharmacy Newsletter Now Available
The latest Medicaid Pharmacy Newsletter, February 2021, is now available on the N.C. Medicaid website. In addition to the March 2021 checkwrite schedule, this edition of the newsletter includes the articles:
- Cost of Dispensing Survey
- Medicaid Managed Care Transformation
- Preferred Brands with Non-Preferred Generics on the Preferred Drug List (PDL) Current as of Jan. 31, 2021
Providers are encouraged to review this important information. The 2021 Medicaid Pharmacy Newsletters can be viewed here .
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Adoption is not an event but a lifelong process, and most child welfare professionals will encounter adoption issues at some point in their work. Because of separation, loss, and traumatic or difficult experiences in early childhood, many children who are adopted, in guardianship, or in foster care are at higher risk for behavioral, emotional, and mental health challenges.
Training in adoption competence helps child welfare workers and other professionals, such as mental health practitioners, better understand the unique and complex needs of families formed through adoption. Adoption competence builds skills and knowledge related to working with and supporting adopted children and youth and their families. Pursuing adoption competence will provide professionals the insight and experience necessary to fulfill the needs of the adoption community. Understanding how to emphasize family strengths, ensure practices are family focused, and include all members of the adoption constellation in decision-making can help serve families along their adoptive journey. Adoption competence is shaped by some core values, as identified by Dr. Deborah Siegel in this article, including the following: - The child's needs and interests are primary.
- Every child deserves and needs a safe, nurturing, permanent family.
- Whenever possible, the child should be included in adoption decision-making.
- In most cases, the child has a right to some sort of contact with his or her biological family.
- Birth parents, including those who have had their parental rights involuntarily terminated because they abused or neglected the child, should be treated with respect.
- It is best to take a strengths-based perspective when working with adoptive families.
- Adoption should build family connections, not sever them.
The resources below discuss the importance of adoption competence for child welfare professionals working with families formed through adoption. They review the importance of adoption competence, describe how adoption-competent practice supports permanency, and explore how training in adoption competence helps support families and children, especially those with behavioral and/or mental health issues. One such training resource is the Children's Bureau funded National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative.
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Upcoming Events
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Wednesday, February 17, 2021
IER Webinar for Refugee and Asylee Service Providers Refugees' and Asylees' Right to Work (Identical to the webinar on 2/11/21)
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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Wednesday, February 17, 2021
COVID-19 Vaccine Presentation with NCCDD & NC Down Syndrome Alliance
Time: 7:00 pm thru 8:00 pm
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Thursday, February 18, 2021
Telehealth Policy Update: What Has Happened and What to Look for in 2021
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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Thursday, February 18, 2021
Bridging the Digital Divide for HCBS Beneficiaries (Part I)
Time: 3:00 pm thru 4:30 pm
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Thursday, February 18, 2021
COVID-19 Vaccine Administration
Time: 5:30 pm thru 6:30 pm
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Thursday, February 18, 2021
Time: 7:00 pm thru 8:00 pm
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Friday, February 19, 2021
Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am
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Monday, February 22, 2021
Nurses on the Frontline: Strengthening America's Health Care Workforce
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Voices of Peer Support & Where to Get PSS Services
This is the 3rd part of a 3-part series
Time: 10:00 am thru 11:00 am
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Wednesday, February 24, 2021
The Drivers Shaping The Movement To A Value-Based Contracting Business Model Key Competitors & Potential Partners
Time: 10:00 am thru 11:15 am
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Tuesday, March 2, 2020
Medication Options for Treatment of Stimulant Use Disorders: Optimistic Update and New Research
Time: 1:00 pm thru 2:00 pm
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Tuesday and Wednesday, March 2 & 3, 2020
2021 CMS Quality Conference
Healthcare Innovation During a Time of Disruption
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Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Addressing the Adverse Impacts of COVID-19 on Children with Serious Emotional Disorders
Time: 1:00 pm thru 2:30 pm
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Thursday, March 4, 2021
Medicaid Managed Care Fireside Chat Series: Policy Approvals, Process Changes and Appeals
Time: 5:30 pm thru 6:30 pm
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Friday, March 5, 2021
Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am
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Thursday, March 11, 2021
Benchmarks' Membership Child Welfare Webinar
Lisa Cauley Joins Karen McLeod
Time: 8:00 am thru 9:00 am
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Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Are You Ready For Value-Based Reimbursement? An Executive Guide For Assessing Readiness In A Value-Based Market
Time: 10:00 am thru 11:15 am
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Friday, March 26, 2021
NC DHHS Supported Living Level 2 &3
STAKEHOLDERS MEETING
Time: 2:30 pm thru 4:30 pm
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Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Bridging The Gap From Data To Data-Driven Performance
Time: 10:00 am thru 11:15 am
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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Developing New VBP Services That Increase Quality & Decrease Service Costs
Time: 10:00 am thru 11:15 am
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Please click on each of the following links to view details sent out from each LME/MCO.
Benchmarks' wants to be sure to make the following list handy for our members to visit and suggests a peek at least once per week to find information that may be pertinent to your agency and contracts.
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