January 1, 2024 Edition 6

The monthly Provider Insider Newsletter will differ from the Network Communication Bulletins by offering an avenue to highlight community happenings across our catchment area. We will share information on various projects Trillium is working on within our local communities and introduce new skill development/training opportunities available to providers.

• Provider Spotlight: Secure Direction NC
• Welcome New Providers!
• Provider News
• Community Involvement
• Provider Resources
• New Opportunities
• Provider Knowledge
• In Case You Missed It 

Secure Direction NC, LLC (SDNC), was founded by Jeff Phillips and Jamie Thomasson. SDNC is a Financial Support Service (FSS) agency for members who participate with the Employer of Record (NC Innovations) and Consumer-Directed (CAP/C & CAP/DA) service models. SDNC is NC-based, and it intends on investing profits into NC's economy. Both owners have family members that are in services and both have worked for over 20 years each in Behavioral Health and I/DD services.

Secure Direction NC is a financial management agency that helps members and families that self-direct services. Secure Direction NC assists by completing such tasks as managing payroll, paying withheld taxes to IRS and NC Department Of Revenue, securing Workman’s Compensation insurance, and processing funds for employer supplies.

Secure Direction NC works with MCO leadership and the CAP Unit leadership to ensure all member/EOR & family’s concerns are identified, addressed, and resolved quickly. Secure Direction NC is developing a quarterly FMS Advisory Council that will be open to members/EORs, families, employees/DSPs, MCO/TP staff, CAP staff, Community Navigators, and Secure Direction NC staff.

Secure Direction NC serves all the counties in North Carolina. While SDNC’s main office is in Concord, NC, this agency was developed to provide services through audio/video tele-communications with an electronic health record. Most of the operations are completed electronically. However, SDNC will and does provide face-to-face contact when required or requested in the community or at the member's location choice for convenience.

Secure Direction NC encourages cultural diversity through its use of community partners for interpreter services as well as its connection with a great program through NC Services of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing that encourages providers to submit invoices for expenses related to securing communication services to help members access services. 

Secure Direction NC hopes this information gives a glance at how carefully they have worked with other agencies to develop this FSS option for families. Hopefully, this summary offers information about how FSS and Employer Supplies (T2025 U1 and T2025 U2) are not typical services, but critical for choice, so consider encouraging members/families to self-direct and manage their own services & funding with Secure Direction NC.

To learn more about Secure Direction NC and access additional resources, please visit their website or call (980) 284-1639.

If you or a fellow provider are interested in sharing your story, please contact us at info@trilliumnc.org. Thank you for all you do for our members!

Provider News

On December 18, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Secretary Kody H. Kinsley approved the consolidation agreement between Trillium Health Resources and Eastpointe Human Services, which provide managed care services to North Carolina’s Medicaid population. This approval includes the consolidation of Eastpointe and Sandhills Center. 

There will be a total of 46 counties in the combined region, effective January 1, 2024 that will now be operated by Trillium. For members and providers, the consolidation transition will occur on February 1, 2024.

The consolidation agreement prioritizes doing what is best for members and providers, focuses on whole-person care, and promotes continued investment in the communities we serve.

Our primary purpose is making sure our members have the highest quality care, delivered in the right amount at the right time.

Have questions for Trillium? Use this form to submit comments, questions, or concerns for our team.



News Release



Trillium Health Resources and Eastpointe Human Services Agreement: A Message from NCTracks on Behalf of NC Medicaid

Trillium Health Resources and Eastpointe Human Services, which was already in the process of merging with Sandhills Center, came together in mutual agreement to build on their collective strengths and administer state and Medicaid-funded MH/SUD/IDD/TBI services and supports in 46 counties in the combined region, effective January 1, 2024. This is in keeping with the direction the Department gave several months ago and the Secretary has approved this consolidation, minus the three counties previously part of Sandhills, which were realigned already. 

The Department is grateful for the leadership and staff of Trillium, Eastpointe, and Sandhills for working together to forge a new consolidated organization that will leverage the strengths of each entity. We are confident that this agreement will reinforce and enhance the existing good work to serve members and beneficiaries in this region of the state. NC Health News wrote about this agreement as part of a series on changes and consolidation in the public behavioral health system.

For members and providers, the consolidation transition will occur on February 1, 2024. Under the agreement, Trillium was named the surviving entity of consolidation; Joy Futrell was named as the CEO; and Sarah Stroud was named President and ex-officio member of the Trillium Board of Directors. No later than January 2025, this new consolidated entity will re-brand under a new name.

Over the next few weeks, Trillium and DHHS will be releasing additional guidance to the field on next steps for consolidation, but will be focused on ensuring the following goals:

• A smooth transition for providers into Medicaid managed care and a smooth transition for beneficiaries moving into a new LME/MCO and transitioning to a Tailored Plan on 7/1/2024.
• Members continue to receive care today – LME/MCOs will honor transition of care for members in ongoing course of treatment and utilize this consolidation effort to enable better access and ultimately better care over the long-term for beneficiaries. 
• Providers continue to contract with the LME/MCO for Medicaid Direct, Tailored Plan services, and State-Funded services if they have not already contracted with as catchment areas change. 

Read Here



Hospitals Across North Carolina Receive Payments as Part of Medicaid Expansion Legislation

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced eligible hospitals in the state will begin receiving payments through the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP). Nearly $2.6 billion in funds will be distributed to 102 hospitals across the state throughout the week. These funds are critical as they will not only help provide much needed support to our state’s healthcare safety net, they also enable hospitals to pay for the non-federal share costs of expansion. Earlier this year, state leaders authorized Medicaid Expansion and HASP as part of a broader strategy to support access to care for low-income North Carolinians.

Medicaid expansion and HASP will be financed through new assessments on North Carolina hospitals and will allow the state to draw down more than $8 billion each year from the federal government based on expected ultimate expansion enrollment. This will have a historic impact on individuals across the state, including the more than 4.6 million people living in one of the 70 rural counties across North Carolina.  



Read More



Trillium Health Resources, The Healing Place of New Hanover County, and New Hanover County received the "Individual and Family Initiatives" Award from the Center for Integrative Health (also known as I2I). The Innovation Awards honor innovative services and programs that aim to enhance comprehensive approaches to care by employing cutting-edge methods, tools, and partnerships.

The Healing Place of New Hanover County (THPNC) opened in early 2023 and houses almost 200 residents focused on their recovery. Through its innovative approach that includes an emergency overnight shelter, social setting detoxification, and a long-term residential program, THPNC helps reduce the barriers to recovery.

Referencing the live feed from Wilmington of THPNC current residents, Mary Ann Furniss, former Trillium Governing Board Chair, commented, "The most important people in this room are in these pictures because they have chosen to make a major change in their lives and live a great life."

THPNC also provides withdrawal management and a peer-run recovery program. National rates of recovery vary from 40-60 percent, but graduates from The Healing Place model maintain a recovery rate of 70 percent one year after completion - making it more effective than the national average at helping people recover. This unique model encourages accountability and involvement; residents want to be at THPNC and become active members of their community.

Trillium partnered with New Hanover County to bring THPNC to Wilmington. Trillium contributed the land used for construction, the county manages maintenance costs, and THPNC is responsible for operational costs. Additionally, the county's annual budget includes funding for 50 of the beds (25 for men, 25 for women).

News Release



Trillium CEO, Joy Futrell, pictured above receiving the "Individual and Family Initiatives" Award from I2I

Provider Resources

New Performance Dashboard for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has launched a performance dashboard for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to highlight how the suicide and crisis lifeline is being used in North Carolina.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline connects North Carolinians via call, chat or text to a trained crisis counselor who will listen, offer support and provide community resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 988 is a state-federal partnership between NCDHHS and the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. It was implemented nationwide in July of 2022.

The dashboard shows North Carolina is successfully meeting demand for the 988 service. North Carolina outperforms national averages in several key areas. For example, it takes 14 seconds to answer calls in North Carolina whereas the national average is 39 seconds. North Carolina also answers 98% of all calls received, compared to the national average of 90%. And the dashboard indicates a 25% increase in utilization over the past year, which shows the service is playing a valuable role for North Carolinians in need of mental health resources.



Press Release



Attend Here

NC Medicaid Providing Free, Printed Educational Materials for Medicaid Expansion and Enrollment

NC Medicaid is providing free, printed educational materials for partners to distribute to individuals and families seeking more information about Medicaid expansion and enrollment.

Sign up today for these informative materials that include NC Medicaid Toolkit materials and swag items available in English and Spanish. Materials will begin shipping (at no cost) in January. 

To order your materials, please fill out the print materials order form by Jan. 8, 2024.

New Opportunities 

Trillium Health Resources will host a third re-entry simulation at the K.E. White Graduate Center at Elizabeth City State University on January 30, 2024. This event will provide a hands-on experience of the barriers for individuals released from incarceration, including those with severe substance use, mental illness, and intellectual/developmental disabilities. Through volunteers and role-playing, attendees experience situations trying to access services and resources that are often challenging and difficult to navigate. Our last event was held on September 26 in Greenville.

Each attendee will be assigned a specific profile and given a list of tasks to complete. Participants will attempt to find jobs, attend treatment appointments, maintain stable housing, and comply with the conditions of their release. For example, if too many years have lapsed, a person may only have access to a learner's permit instead of a full license. This limits when they can drive, lessening their ability to find employment or housing.

Around 30,000 individuals are incarcerated in the state of North Carolina. Each year, around 2/3 of them are released. With recidivism rates around 35-40%, prison populations remain steady. A huge factor for recidivism is not having proper support and encouragement upon re-entry. Groups like Our Journey are working to change that.

Our Journey sends a resource kit that includes a book with support and tips on the emotions they may experience, gift cards to restaurants, a local resource guide, a t-shirt, and two doses of Narcan. Individuals recently released from prison are 40 times more likely to die from an overdose.

Register Here

Provider Knowledge

Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT)

Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) is the federal law that says Medicaid must provide all medically necessary health care services to Medicaid-eligible children. Even if a service is not covered under the North Carolina Medicaid State Plan, it can be covered for members under age 21 if the service is listed at 1905(a) of the Social Security Act and if all EPSDT criteria are met.

Trillium is committed to providing preventive health screenings and improving the overall health of children enrolled in our health plans. Trillium will cover services, products, or procedures for a Medicaid member under age 21 if the service is medically necessary to correct or ameliorate a defect, physical or mental illness, or a condition or health problem identified through a screening examination.

Learn More



Trillium Secure Email Compliance

Providers are responsible for safeguarding a member's protected health information (PHI) when transmitting PHI. A secure method of transmittal should be utilized when sending PHI electronically which can be accomplished through encryption software. Your agency may have a specific software platform or Trillium offers providers the opportunity to create and securely send emails by accessing Zixmail in the Provider Portal on Trillium's website.

Zixmail will encrypt the contents and attachments of the email. It does not however, encrypt information in the subject line. No form of PHI should be included in the subject line of an email. When sending PHI to Trillium or other agencies through email or ticket submission, please ensure you are utilizing a secure method of transmittal to eliminate any potential confidentiality concerns. Zixmail Instructions are available on Trillium's website, under "IT Information and Forms."

Read More Here



Important Claims Information

As of November 1, 2023, per the DHHS guidelines the attending NPI cannot be the billing NPI on UB04 and 837 institutional claims. Please note that the attending provider does not need to be employed by the facility but is the individual who has responsibility for the medical care/treatment of this beneficiary.

If you have questions, please contact the Provider Support

Service Line at

1-855-250-1539.

Behavioral Health Reimbursement Rates Increased for the First Time in a Decade

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced on November 15, 2023 historic Medicaid reimbursement rate increases will soon be implemented for most mental health, substance use, intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) services in North Carolina. 

Read More Here

Re-verification Requirement

You should have received a Re-verification Notification from NCTracks. If you have not responded, please act now. If you do not submit the re-verification application and pay the application fee by the due date, your Medicaid claims will not be paid.

Network Communication Bulletins 2023

Click above for more information.

Have Questions/Need Support?

If you have questions, need additional information, or require technical assistance, please contact our Network Management Department at NetworkServicesSupport@TrilliumNC.org or call Provider Support Services at 1-855-250-1539 during the hours of 7 a.m.–6 p.m. EST, Monday–Saturday. 

We appreciate your commitment to helping us achieve this mission by meeting the needs of members!

Provider Insider is a newsletter for the Trillium Health Resources provider community. Please send comments and suggestions about this publication and its contents to NetworkServicesSupport@TrilliumNC.org.