Monkeypox Updates for Providers

The HRSA bulletin from last Friday included important CDC updates:

• A Dear Colleague message about diagnosis and treatment of monkeypox virus infection.

• A request that all health care providers report vaccine adverse events (possible side effects) to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Report any event that, in your professional judgment, is medically important or clinically significant, even if you are not sure if the vaccine caused the event.

The bulletin also shared these CDC resources:

• Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity – The links under “Latest News” provide resources or connect you to call recordings and slides.
• Monkeypox website – Includes prevention, signs and symptoms, and treatment.

Updated NCDHHS guidance for evaluation, testing and prevention of monkeypox and response to possible cases is at this link.

• A brief overview of the Dobbs decision
• Legal and practical issues raised by the Dobbs decision
• HHS Guidance to Protect Patient Privacy in Wake of Supreme Court Decision on Roe issued June 29, 2022
  • OCR’s guidance on the HIPAA Privacy Rule and disclosures relating to reproductive health care was issued on June 29, 2022
  • OCR’s guidance on protecting the privacy and security of health information when using a cell phone or tablet was issued on June 29, 2022
• Today and tomorrow – looking ahead

Webinar: How to Resolve Your NC Traffic Debt
Tomorrow: August 3 | 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Register

The North Carolina Justice Center is hosting an event tomorrow evening that may be of interest to your patients. A free informational webinar will help people facing driver’s license suspension because of an unpaid traffic ticket(s). State law allows individuals to go back into court and request for their unpaid traffic ticket(s) causing driver’s license suspension to be eliminated or reduced.

Attorneys from the NC Justice Center's Fair Chance Criminal Justice Project will lead the webinar and provide information that could help reduce or even eliminate traffic debt. 

If patients miss the live session, they can access a recording on ResolveTrafficDebtNC.org.

NACHC Health Center Advocacy Webinar: Engaging Frontline Staff in Advocacy
Thursday, August 4, 2022 | 3:00 - 4:00 pm
Click here to register

Midterm elections are in full swing and a busy year of #ValueCHCs advocacy lies ahead. Now is the perfect time to prep your advocacy action plan! Join us to learn about the current Congressional landscape and hear from fellow advocacy leader, Marina Abt at Scenic Bluffs Community Health Centers in Cashton, WI. She’ll share tips on engaging frontline staff in the advocacy process, which was a key component of their success in becoming a Gold Advocacy Center of Excellence (ACE). This session is open to all advocates. Members of the Advocacy Leadership Program (ALP) will earn credit for attending.

MFP Lunch and Learn: Waivers, Residential, Supports and Housing - Connecting the Dots
Monday August 8 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Register

Registration is now open for the NCDHHS August Lunch and Learn webinar. This month’s topic is a continuation of the housing discussion we’ve been having all summer. This one will focus on waivers, residential supports, and approaching housing options based on services and supports. This session will be primarily IDD focused, but should also be of interest to individuals from other disability populations.

5 Days Out: We're Excited to Celebrate National Health Center Week With You!
August 7-13
Register your CHC's event with NCCHCA here.

We at the North Carolina Community Health Center Association look forward to celebrating your work and accomplishments next week during National Health Center Week! Our staff looks forward to joining your events if possible, so please make sure you've either filled out our event form or shared your event details with our new board liaison and executive assistant, Jennifer James.

Adapt this template invitation letter to invite public officials to your event. Find more resources, including voter education materials at https://healthcenterweek.org.

View all public events in N.C. on the NACHC event page (Note: There are three pages of events).

340B Programming at CHI
Tuesday, August 30 in Chicago
Register (option to join virtually)

Join NACHC for the first-ever 340B Day at CHI on Tuesday, August 30! Registration is open. There is a virtual option for 340B Day for attendees that cannot make it to Chicago. To see an overview of sessions, please review the 340B day one-pager. Also, please fill out this 340B Day form to indicate which topic(s) you’d be most interested in attending for the peer-to-peer breakout sessions. Also, Apexus will be hosting 340B FQHC University prior to CHI on Saturday, August 27, from 8am – 4:45pm. This training is open to CHCs and PCAs! Learn more and register here. 

Save the Date for NCCHCA’s 2022 Clinical Conference - October 20-21 in Winston-Salem

We look forward to welcoming you at our 2022 Clinical Conference, Breaking Down Barriers: Meeting Patients Where They Are, which will be a valuable opportunity for professional development and networking. The event will be held at Twin City Quarter in Winston-Salem. Please mark your calendars for October 20-21 and be on the lookout for more details and a registration link coming soon.

Gov. Cooper: NC Hospitals Should Step Up Instead of Holding Up Medicaid Expansion

N.C. Governor Roy Cooper published an op-ed today calling on hospital leaders to "step up now and do what's right for their patients" by making concessions on NC's "restrictive" Certificate of Need laws to allow the Legislature to reach a deal on Medicaid Expansion.

"After years of opposing it, Republicans now support it. That’s a big deal. And it’s real progress that they’re now saying what we’ve said for years: Medicaid expansion will help save rural hospitals, take pressure off businesses, increase mental health care, and provide insurance for hundreds of thousands of working North Carolinians at no cost to the state. It will save lives and livelihoods. Of course, as usual, there’s a hitch ... It’s a fight about allowing more competition for hospitals. Now I wish we could have that fight later and get Medicaid expansion done today, but the Senate leadership is insisting that government restraints on hospital competition should be reduced before Medicaid expansion takes place. Hospital leaders know that no vote will come on Medicaid expansion this year unless they compromise on competition, but the powerful hospital lobby hasn’t yielded out of fear for their profits."

Read more from The Charlotte Observer.

Senators Manchin and Schumer Reach Agreement on Lowering Drug Costs and Extending ACA Subsidies

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) struck a deal on a tax, health-care, tax, and energy policy bill on July 27, breaking a deadlock on Democrats’ long-sought legislation to enact major parts of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda.

The bill would direct the government to negotiate with drugmakers for lower prices on certain medicines, and cap what seniors on Medicare pay for drugs each year at $2,000. The measure also requires pharmaceutical companies to rebate Medicare if they raise the prices of their drugs more than just account for inflation.

Manchin’s and Schumer’s agreement would also extend federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act premiums, first enacted by the American Rescue Plan (Public Law 117-2) in 2021, for three years. However, unlike the Build Back Better bill, at this stage this deal does not include a federal Medicaid expansion backstop for holdout states.

(Read the full Bloomberg article.)

Bipartisan Legislation in the U.S. House Would Continue Telehealth Services

Last week, the House passed the H.R. 4040, Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021, which is sponsored by Reps. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI). The bill would continue Medicare telehealth provisions for two years after the Public Health Emergency (PHE) expires. This bill would temporarily help health centers by allowing them to receive payment for telehealth medical and behavioral health services. Seniors, residents in rural areas, and communities with limited broadband access will benefit from the legislation. They will be able to continue to receive telehealth services, including audio-only visits. However, the Senate will not review this bill before their August recess. 

CMS Releases Maternity Care Action Plan

Last week, CMS announced a Maternity Care Action Plan to address the Biden Administration’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis that was released last month. CMS Administrator Brooks-LaSure called upon health care stakeholders to make their own commitments to improve maternal health outcomes. 

State Awards $30M in Grants to Expand Internet Access in 11 N.C. Counties

More than 13,000 households and 582 businesses across North Carolina are set to receive access to high-speed internet thanks to more than $30.8 million in grants, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) awarded the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants to 11 counties to expand broadband infrastructure. See the full release from the Governor's office along with the list of counties here.

NC Legislative Leaders Ask Federal Judge to Lift Injunction on State's 20-Week Abortion Ban

Republican state lawmakers are asking a federal judge to reinstate North Carolina's 20-week abortion ban. Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, filed a friend-of-the-court brief asking the court to lift an injunction blocking the enforcement of the state’s law that prohibits abortions after 20 weeks, or to allow them to intervene in the case.

(Read the WRAL article.)

Annual Essential Community Provider (ECP) Petitions Submission 

Deadline: August 17th for inclusion in the final Plan Year 2024 ECP List. 

The Essential Community Provider petition submission is an annual process that works prospectively. HHS updates this ECP list annually to assist issuers with identifying providers that qualify for inclusion in an issuer's plan network toward satisfaction of the ECP standard under 45 CFR 156.235. 

Per CMS, “For ongoing provider updates, the ECP petition process remains open year-round. Provider petitions submitted between August 19, 2021, and August 17, 2022, will be reviewed for inclusion on the final Plan Year 2024 ECP List. Provider petitions submitted after August 17, 2022, will be reviewed for inclusion on the final Plan Year 2025 ECP List. 

Click here to download a detailed memo with important reminders and instructions.

Click here to visit the CMS website to view all sites currently associated with your organization and submit a petition for each of your facilities. All FQHCs should submit a petition for each of their facilities even if they do not see errors or omissions that require correction.

Questions? Contact Chaundra Cureton, Member Management Specialist, curetonc@ncchca.org. 

FQHC Radiology Services Reimbursement Methodology Revision

Effective yesterday, Aug.1, 2022, only the technical component of an onsite radiology service performed at FQHCs/RHCs will be separately reimbursed by Medicaid. The professional component of these services will no longer be reimbursed using the radiology CPT codes after Aug. 1, 2022.  

For more information, see the July 18 NCDHHS Bulletin.

Please Respond to NCCHCA Survey on Radiology Services Reimbursement Change
In response to the recent Medicaid Bulletin stating that, effective Aug.1, 2022, only the technical component of an onsite radiology service performed at federally qualified health centers will be separately reimbursable, NCCHCA is requesting input from your health center.

Please complete our brief survey at this link. We will use information gathered from this survey to determine if advocacy action is needed on this issue.

Contracting with Tailored Plans

Beginning Dec. 1, 2022, NC Medicaid will transition approximately 170,000 beneficiaries who may need services for a severe mental health disorder, severe substance use disorder, intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) to Behavioral Health and I/DD Tailored Plans (Tailored Plans). 

Key Tailored Plan Dates

• Aug. 15, 2022 – Beneficiary Choice Period begins. Enrollment Broker begins mailing Enrollment Packets to beneficiaries, and beneficiaries can choose a PCP and Tailored Care Management provider by contacting their Tailored Plan.
• Sept. 15, 2022 – Last day for PCPs to have fully executed contracts with Prepaid Health Plans (PHP) for inclusion in PCP Auto-Assignment.
• Oct. 14, 2022 – Last day for beneficiaries to choose a PCP and Tailored Care Management provider before auto-assignment.
• Post Oct. 14, 2022 – PCP and Tailored Care Management Provider Auto-Assignment for beneficiaries who have not chosen a PCP or Tailored Care Management provider.
• Dec. 1, 2022 – Behavioral Health I/DD Tailored Plans launch.

Find Tailored Plan contact information here. It is important to contract with multiple, if not all, networks who serve beneficiaries in your community so that existing patients and their families can remain in network.

Find more contracting information and a map of Tailored Plan catchment areas here.

Key Reminders from Previous Newsletter Editions

• Taxonomy Enrollment Requirement Reminders to Prevent Claim Denials

• NCCHCA Managed Care Help Desk - Email mmc@ncchca.org or Call (919) 655-0394 (8-5, M-F)

• PHPs Must Pay Interest and Penalties for Inappropriate Claim Denials & Delays

Building Bridges to Better Health: A Primary Health Care Challenge
Deadline Today: August 2, 2022
Visit Challenge.gov for more information.

Building Bridges to Better Health is a national competition with a total of $1 million in cash prizes to encourage innovation through technical assistance to health centers. Competition participants will accelerate the development of low-cost, scalable solutions to help HRSA-supported community health centers improve patient access to primary care and strengthen the link between health care and social services. Phase 1 (concept design) will include initial awards totaling $300,000 for up to 30 winners.

HRSA Announces Availability of Nearly $15 Million to Expand and Support the Nursing Workforce
Registered Nurse Training Program
Deadline: August 19, 2022

This funding opportunity will provide awards totaling $4.75 million over three years to increase the number of nursing students trained in acute care settings, with an emphasis on addressing and responding to social determinants of health factors and improving health equity.

Clinical Faculty and Preceptor Academies Program
Deadline: August 22, 2022
This funding opportunity will provide awards totaling $10 million over four years to grow the nursing workforce by recruiting, training and supporting clinical nursing faculty and preceptors.

NEW: Department of Labor Growth Opportunities Round 2
Deadline for Round 2: October 5, 2022
Application Link

The Department of Labor (DoL) recently announced awards for Round 1 of the Growth Opportunities (GO) initiative. I am reaching out to you today to ask for your assistance in promoting the Round 2 GO competition (FOA-ETA-22-03).

GO aims to help youth avoid violence and build conflict resolution skills; introduce and prepare youth for the world of work; help youth identify career interests and attain skills and good work habits; and provide income to youth to start them on the path of earning living wages. The grant awards prioritize projects serving high-crime, high-poverty areas, as well as communities where students of color have disproportionate rates of expulsions and suspensions. For more information on this initiative, please see the GO overview.

DoL intends for approximately 50 percent of Round 2 funds to be awarded to applicants that have not received a previous Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) grant, subject to receiving sufficient fundable applications. We need your help reaching these organizations and making them aware of the GO Round 2 opportunity! Applications must be received by October 5, 2022, for Round 2 consideration.

NCCHCA Workforce Development Workgroup

August 24, 2022 | 10 AM ET

Click Here to Register

Join your CHC colleagues to share information, challenges, and best practices on workforce planning, development, and partnerships in your CHCs. Our August meeting will refocus our group on the practical nuts and bolts of strategic workforce planning and our collective work on this effort. We’ll continue with the next edition of Resiliency Reset, and highlight a potential training partnership opportunity.

Congratulations to Two More Members Celebrating New Locations + Two NHCW Proclamations

Our members are celebrating growth and expanding the reach of Community Health Centers! We'd like to congratulate two CHCs that are celebrating grand openings next week:

• On Wednesday, August 10 at 10:00 am, Cabarrus-Rowan Community Health Centers will celebrate the opening of its Salisbury Health Center at 330 West Jake Alexander Blvd., Suite 103, in Salisbury.
• On Thursday, August 11 at 12:30 pm, Agape Health Services (Metropolitan Community Health Services) will celebrate the opening of Plymouth Health Center at 115 Adams Street in Plymouth.

Two CHCs have also secured proclamations in recognition of National Health Center Week from their city councils.

• On Tuesday, August 2 at 6:00 pm, Kintegra Health will receive a Mayoral Presentation of NHCW 2022 at Gastonia City Hall, 181 S. South Street, Gastonia.
• On Saturday, August 13 at 10:00 am, Person Family Medical Center, Inc., will receive a NHCW proclamation from the Mayor at its Children's Health Day event, taking place at Huck Sansbury Park Complex, 425 Long Avenue in Roxboro.

Please submit your National Health Center Week events on this form so the Association can join you in celebrating the work you do!

The photo below was posted to Facebook by Person Family Medical, which recently had a "twin" day as part of staff spirit week!