|
The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System Administration has required Mercy Care to make payments to a list of providers within the state of Arizona for the ARPA program. The one- time limited provider payments are for HCBS and rehabilitative services, including mental health and substance use disorder services to promote stabilization, access to supportive services, and workforce recruitment and retention of a knowledgeable and well-trained workforce to improve member outcomes.
These payments are authorized by Laws 2022, Second Regular Session, Chapter 2 and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) through 438.6(c). To the extent that CMS may require changes to the payment methodology and/or process, this guidance may change and be updated. These state fiscal year (SFY) 2022 payments are meant to be a one-time payment and AHCCCS does not intend to continue this level of funding permanently.
Eligible providers are required to distribute at least 80% of the Directed Payment amount to Direct Service Provider staff in the form of a temporary increase in salary, wages, bonuses, hiring/ retention incentives, and/or stipends, including employee related expense costs. The remaining 20% of the Directed Payment amount may be expended on costs associated with enhancing, expanding, and strengthening HCBS such as recruitment of Direct Service. Funds need to be used for expenditures that occur from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. Directed Payment funds must be used to supplement and not supplant existing funding.
Payments to providers may be subject to recoupment for the following reasons, (1) Non completion of an attestation by a provider, (2) Funds not spent by providers by December 31, 2022, (3) Funds not spent by providers in the manner outlined above, (4) Providers determined ineligible after receipt of payment.
Additional information about AHCCCS ARPA is posted on the AHCCCS web page. Any questions regarding these one-time payments and provider attestations can be submitted to: AHCCCSARPADIRECTEDPAYMENTS@mslc.com. For further information, you may also review the AHCCCS Provider Payment Information web page as well.
If you have any questions, please contact Mercy Care Finance at (602) 453-8345.
You can find this Notice and all other provider notices on our Mercy Care website.
Thanks for all you do!
| 
