• HHS Extends Application Deadline for Medicaid Providers and Plans to Reopen Portal to Certain Medicare Providers 
• ANCOR & 41 State Associations Request Extension of Retainer Payments from CMS 
• CDS Webinar with Director Stark - Final IB On CDS for ICFDD/SODC Residents 
• IARF BH COVID Billing Relief Extension & Telehealth Utilization Survey 
• DMH August 27 Recovery & Empowerment Statewide Call 
• NADSP: Praise to Promise – National DSP Recognition Week 
• Emergency Rental Assistance through the Illinois Housing Development Authority 
• Medicaid Report on Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations with Substance Use Disorder 
• CMS Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model 
• Vote Yes For Fair Tax Organizational Sign-On 
• Are You Interested in Serving as an Integrated Health Home? 
• New Forensic Notice of Funding Opportunity From DMH 
• Medicaid MCO Rolls Continue Growth in June 
• Welch Requests AG use 'enforceable action' on MCOs Over Minority Contracting Goals 
• ANCOR & Other Disability Providers Lobby CMS to Delay EVV Enforcement 
• Pritzker Administration Awards $46 Million in Emergency Grants to Small Businesses Through BIG Program 
• Illinois JCAR approves Pritzker's Mask Enforcement Rules 
• Guardianship and Advocacy Commission Statement Regarding OSG Wards Returning to Community Day Services 

HHS EXTENDS APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR MEDICAID PROVIDERS AND PLANS TO REOPEN PORTAL TO CETRAIN MEDICARE PROVIDERS 
As part of its ongoing efforts to provide financial relief to healthcare providers impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), today the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing an application deadline extension for the Phase 2 general distribution to Medicaid, Medicaid managed care, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and dental providers. HHS also plans to allow certain Medicare providers who experienced challenges in the Phase 1 Medicare General Distribution application period a second opportunity to receive funding. Both groups will have until Friday, August 28, 2020 to apply.  Please click here for more information.  

The National Council for Behavioral Health has created a handy ‘Rules of the Road’ document to assist provider organizations in completing the application process. (Contact: Dan Frey) 

ANCOR & 41 STATE ASSOCIATIONS REQUEST EXTENSION OF RETAINER PAYMENTS FROM CMS 
On August 10th, ANCOR authored a letter signed by 41 state associations – including IARF – requesting CMS Administrator Verma requesting the Department waive the limit of three consecutive bed hold days periods for retainer payments for the duration of the public health crisis.  This letter comes nearly immediately after several U.S. Senators – including Senator Duckworth – sent a similar request to Administrator Verma on retainer payments. 

Illinois is currently in the process of modifying its 1915(c) Appendix K to draw Medicaid FFP on retainer funds already spent during FY20.  As members are aware, the Association recommended a modified retainer payment policy by DHS-DDD in July to try and assist providers during the transition back to activated CDS.  The Division has stated they have no intention of continuing retainer payments, but is having internal discussions about other options. (Contact: Josh Evans) 

CDS WEBINAR WITH DIRECTOR STARK - FINAL IB ON CDS FOR ICFDD/SODC RESIDENTS 
Director Allison Stark will give a brief update on Community Day Services and reopening efforts. She will reserve the majority of the time to taking questions. In particular, she is interested in hearing and responding to questions around reopening, challenges and creative strategies for service provision as the system grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Webinar will be presented on Friday, August 21, 2020 from 1 pm to 2 pm. 

To register and receive a link to the live webinar, please contact DHS at DHS.DDDComments@illinois.gov with the names and email addresses of desired attendees. You may also send any CDS related questions you may have in advance to the email address listed above to potentially be addressed during this update with Director Stark. Due to technical limitations, participants will be limited to the first one thousand attendees. If possible, please login to the meeting as a group if within the same provider agency.  

Yesterday, the Division finalized the Informational Bulletin containing important guidance/policy for ICFDDs and SODCs with respect to CDS.  We note the following key provisions of the IB: 

Community Based CDS Programs 

• CDS programs may reopen to provide day programs effective 9/1/20 for ICF/DD and SODC residents. 

• Providers should follow "CDS Operations Under COVID-19 Guidance" in providing services, including completion of the Client Benefit/Risk Tool. 

• ICF/DD providers will submit billing for individual attendance to a community based CDS program and pay the CDS provider directly. 

On-Site Day Programs 

• During COVID-19, certified CDS programs may also choose to provide on-site staff day program services to private ICF/DD residents at their residential location. This is not applicable to SODCs sites and residents. 

• The CDS provider and the ICF/DD should discuss the programming that will be provided on site. 

• ICF/DD providers will submit billing for individual attendance to the on-site day program and pay the CDS provider directly. 

(Contact: Beth Owens) 

IARF BH COVID BILLING RELIEF EXTENSION & TELEHEALTH UTILIZATION SURVEY 
IARF is attempting to ascertain the level of decline in billing for the codes that received COVID relief dollars from the MCOs for March 8 - June 30.  Answers are being sought to questions as they relate to the codes that received the COVID relief rate increase.  This will allow IARF to present an accurate accounting of our members' losses during the pandemic, and advocate more effectively for an extension of this rate increase. 

Additionally, the state is encouraging providers to conduct a migration of services to telehealth for the remainder of the public health crisis, and legislation is in development to make these changes permanent.  It is believed that an increase in telehealth utilization will correspond with more stable claims and billing.  You view and complete the survey by clicking here. (Contact: Dan Frey) 

DMH AUGUST 27 RECOVERY & EMPOWERMENT STATEWIDE CALL 
Please plan to join on August 27, 2020 for DMH’s next Recovery & Empowerment Statewide Call for 2020!  The theme this year is "2020 Vision for Ourselves!” These educational forums place an emphasis on sharing successful tools and strategies for wellness. This month's focus is “Shifting Our Vision!” 

While they recognize that agencies may not be joining people in a group for this call, please note that you don’t have to be in a group to participate. Individuals are welcome to dial in from a personal phone or from home.  Remember to provide the moderator with your name, the agency you are representing (if applicable), and the number of persons listening in from your location.  

ABOUT THIS MONTH'S CALL: 

DATE:             August 27, 2020 

TIME:             10:00am - 11:00am 

TOPIC:            Shifting Our Vision 

OBJECTIVES: Participants will learn: How to identify types of resilience; how to live beyond what happened to us; how spirituality helps us heal.  

DIAL-IN NUMBER:  1-844-867-6167  

ACCESS CODE:     4360050 

MEETING TITLE:    Recovery & Empowerment Statewide Call 

SPEAKERS:         Tanya Cooley, Cindy Mayhew, and Shirley Davis 

(Contact: Dan Frey) 

NADSP: PRAISE TO PROMISE – NATIONAL DSP RECOGNITION WEEK 
IARF is pleased to sponsor and promote the upcoming virtual series by NADSP – Praise to Promise - which will offer “a mix of recognition and gratitude for DSPs, along with concrete steps and proven best practices that can be implemented across the human services field. This has the potential to elevate the status of DSPs, involving how they’re acknowledged, empowered, and supported.” 

The virtual event will run the length of National DSP Recognition Week – from September 13th - 19th.  We encourage members to check out the sessions and register staff! (Contact: Josh Evans) 
 

EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) launched the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program to support those who have been unable to pay their rent due to COVID-19.  More information about this opportunity is available at IHDA’s website for the program is www.ERA.IHDA.org.  

Approved applicants will receive a one-time grant of $5,000, paid directly to their landlord to cover missed rent payments beginning in March 2020 and prepaid through December 2020 or until the $5,000 is exhausted. Renters in need of assistance can go online and apply now.  

Applications will be accepted through August 21, but people are urged to apply as soon as possible. 

Additionally, on August 24, applications will be accepted for a related program for mortgage assistance. It will support about 10,000 households with up to $15,000 paid directly to their mortgage lender to cover payments between March and December of this year. Applications will be accepted through September 4. (Contact: Dan Frey) 

MEDICAID REPORT ON USING TELEHEALTH AND REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING FOR PEDIATRIC POPULATIONS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final Report to Congress entitled, “Reducing Barriers to Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations under Medicaid” as required by section 1009(d) of the Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). This report identifies best practices and potential solutions for reducing barriers to using services delivered via telehealth for the treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) among pediatric populations under Medicaid. 

This report is one of the many CMS efforts to not only understand our state partners’ challenges, but also to provide them with the flexibilities they need to combat the Opioid Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic as well.  To read the full report, please click here. (Contact: Dan Frey) 

CMS COMMUNITY HEALTH ACCESS AND RURAL TRANSFORMATION (CHART) MODEL 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center is announcing a new Model, the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model (or the “Model”).  Through the CHART Model, CMS aims to continue addressing these disparities by providing a way for rural communities to transform their health care delivery systems by leveraging innovative financial arrangements as well as operational and regulatory flexibilities.  For more information, please click here to read to the full release. (Contact: Dan Frey) 
 

VOTE YES FOR FAIR TAX ORGANIZATIONAL SIGN-ON 
As you all know, IARF last December unanimously passed a resolution to support the Illinois Fair Tax initiative. As a part of that initiative, IARF has been participating in the Vote Yes for Fair Tax and Vote Yes for Fairness committees. 

Vote Yes for Fair Tax has requested that organizations who support the passage of the Fair Tax constitutional amendment in November sign on to formally list their support. You can do so by clicking here. (Contact: Dan Frey) 
 

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING AS AN INTEGRATED HEALTH HOME? 
With the launch of the Integrated Health Home (IHH) now pushed back to January 1, 2021, there are ways to begin the process of becoming an IHH ahead of more specific information or criteria becoming available. If you are interested in serving as an IHH, please let the Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans (IAMHP) know and they will send that information on to the Medicaid health plans. 

Complete the IHH Submission Form and IAMHP will send at least a weekly report to the plans with your information. (Contact: Dan Frey) 

NEW FORENSIC NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FROM DMH 
The Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Mental Health (DMH) has announced a $1M annualized investment to provide community-based forensic services to justice involved individuals with mental illnesses who have historically had limited access to outpatient fitness restoration services in Central and Southern Illinois.  

DMH is announcing a program opportunity that responds to the needs of individuals who are justice-involved and experiencing mental illnesses, particularly in the Central and Southern Illinois regions. In order to treat individuals in the least restrictive and most therapeutic setting, DMH will ensure that individuals who have been adjudicated by the courts as Unfit To Stand Trial (UST) can access community-based fitness restoration services statewide, and where clinically appropriate.  Click here for more information and to apply.  (Contact: Dan Frey) 

MEDICAID MCO ROLLS CONTINUE GROWTH IN JUNE 
The state’s Medicaid managed care rolls grew by roughly 145,000 in June.  Enrollment in HealthChoice Illinois was 2,400,107 as of July 1, compared to 2,255,100 at the start of June. It’s double the growth seen in May, which itself was triple the growth the program saw in March and April. 

All five health plans saw increases in their membership, with Meridian Health Plan seeing an 11.1 percent increase after taking on NextLevel Health Partners' members. 

CountyCare only operates in Cook County. 

As of July 1, enrollment totals were:   

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois – 545,345 (8.3 percent increase from June 1) 

• IlliniCare Health Plan – 385,791 (7.5 percent increase) 

• Meridian Health Plan – 847,312 (11.1 percent increase) 

• Molina Healthcare – 257,012 (10.1 percent increase) 

• CountyCare Health Plan – 364,647 (6.6 percent increase) 

(Contact: Dan Frey) 
 

WELCH REQUESTS AG USE ‘ENFORCEABLE ACTION’ ON MCOS OVER MINOTITY CONTRACTING GOALS 
Several days after requesting a state agency take action, Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, on Thursday asked that Attorney General Kwame Raoul take action against Medicaid providers that fail to meet fair contracting goals for businesses owned by racial and ethnic minorities and women. 

In a letter Thursday, Welch asked Raoul to take “enforceable action” against any Medicaid managed care organization that has failed to meet their goals. Action could include fines or even suing Medicaid providers to “recover taxpayer funds.”  IAMHP stated last week, prior to the release of this letter, that Medicaid providers are working diligently on ways to increase investments in minority and women-owned groups. (Contact: Dan Frey) 

ANCOR & OTHER DISABILITY PROVIDERS LOBBY CMS TO DELAY EVV ENFORCEMENT 
ANCOR is leading to push CMS to delay enforcement of EVV during the Public Health Emergency. This morning, ANCOR in coalition with ACCSES, APSE, The Arc, Easterseals, Goodwill, and UCP, sent the attached letter asking CMS to explore any flexibility in the implementation and enforcement of EVV during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Contact: Luis Andrade) 
 
PRITZKER ADMINISTRATION AWARDS $46M IN EMERGENCY GRANTS TO SMALL BUSINESS THROUGH BIG PROGRAM 
CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced $46 million in small business grants have been released to 2,655 small businesses located in over 400 individual cities and spread across 78 counties. The grants are the first round of the Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program through which the State will award grants to a diversity of businesses, as well as business communities hit hardest by COVID-19 related closures. A substantial portion of the BIG program is dedicated to supporting childcare providers. View the list of grant recipients online here. Illinois businesses can follow DCEO on social media @IllinoisDCEO for regular updates on business resources and programs. (Contact: Luis Andrade) 

ILLINOIS JCAR APPROVES PRITZKER’S MASK ENFORCEMENT RULES  
A legislative panel voted along party lines Tuesday to allow new emergency rules to help enforce the state’s mandates on face coverings and large social gatherings at businesses to go in effect. The 12-member Joint Committee on Administrative Rules allowed the proposal to move forward, with a Republican motion to oppose and suspend the rules failing on a six to five vote, short of the eight votes necessary to stop the rules from going into effect. 

Gov. JB Pritzker unveiled the rules last Friday, saying they would give local health departments and law enforcement more leeway to support community public health without having to take extreme measures. (Contact: Luis Andrade) 

GUARDIAN AND ADVOCACY COMMISSION STATEMENT REGARDING OSG WARDS RETURNING TO COMMUNITY DAY SERVICES 
IARF has received the following statement from the Guardian and Advocacy Commission related to the return of Office of State Guardian wards to community day services: 

“The Office of State Guardian (OSG) approaches all case planning for its wards on an individualized basis with a person centered focus.  OSG is not precluding all its wards from attending community day services.  Rather, it is evaluating individual ward participation on a case-by-case basis consistent with its mandates under the Illinois Probate Act.  If an individual has high risk health and medical factors, and safety risks cannot be adequately mitigated, denying participation in community day services may be an option until such time as those safety concerns can be managed.  OSG caseworkers will continuously monitor and reconsider participation when circumstances allow.  OSG recognizes the value of its wards participating in community day services and whenever possible will support that participation.  In that regard, if a residential facility in which an OSG ward resides determines that its resident, who is an OSG Ward, is not to participate in community day services, OSG will require that it be included in the decision making process to ensure that its wards are being treated on an individualized basis rather than residential provider convenience.”  

If providers have questions or related concerns, they may contact GAC or OSG.  (Contact: Beth Owens)