Last Chance to Enroll at HealthCare.Gov
Tuesday, December 15 is the last day of Marketplace Open Enrollment!
Join OKPCA for an Outreach & Enrollment Roundtable on Monday, December 14 at 12:00 PM for tips and strategies for enrolling patients before Open Enrollment closes.
Additional free webinars on how to help enroll patients throughout the year will be hosted in January. Join us for training on special enrollment periods and special populations outreach.
Go to our website to learn more and register today!
|
|
Congress Mulls Federal Funding Extension
On Friday, the Senate approved a week-long Continuing Resolution (CR) passed by the House earlier this week that extends health center mandatory and discretionary funding and other federal funding until December 18, 2020. This short CR is intended to give lawmakers additional time to negotiate a budget for the federal government beyond the December 11, 2020 shutdown deadline. The stopgap measure must also be signed by President Trump to avert a shutdown.
Ten Years in the Making, HRSA Issues 340B Dispute Resolution Rule
When the Affordable Care Act was passed in March 2010, lawmakers gave the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services until September 2010 to finalize a rule on how 340B disputes would be resolved. On Thursday, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released the final rule "creating a panel to resolve health care providers’ claims they were overcharged for 340B covered outpatient drugs by drug manufacturers, and manufacturers’ claims, after an audit, that providers violated the statutory prohibition on diversion or duplicate discounts."
NACHC is currently suing HHS over drug manufacturers' refusal to provide 340B drug pricing to contract pharmacies, and a part of the lawsuit is centered around the failure of HHS to finalize the rule. It could still be months before the process is functional. It is unknown if the Biden administration will suspend, withdraw, or continue with the rule.
Biden Administration Urged to Prioritize Medicare Oral Health Coverage
On Wednesday, the Medicare Oral Health Coalition sent a letter to the Biden-Harris Transition Team to prioritize Medicare oral health coverage. Coalition members include the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), Families USA, and AARP.
CMS Issues Proposed Rule on Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters and Approves Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Changes
On November 25, 2020, CMS released the 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters proposed rule. CMS proposed standards for states, issuers, exchanges, pharmacy benefit managers, and 1332 waivers. You can review the official factsheet for more details. The rule has a 30-day comment period that will end late December.
In a December 1, 2020 press release, CMS announced that the annual PFS final rule had been released, which finalizes the permanent expansion of Medicare telehealth services and increases payment to practitioners for the time they spend with patients. A copy of the final rule can be found here and several fact sheets are included at the bottom of the press release.
Complying with OK SB 1290: Provider Protection
This spring, legislators approved Senate Bill 1290, which requires health care providers to "display at all times in a prominent place a printed sign with a minimum height of twenty (20) inches and a minimum width of fourteen (14) inches, with each letter to be a minimum of one-fourth (1/4) inch in height," which reads, "WARNING: ASSAULTING A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WHO IS ENGAGED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS OR HER OFFICIAL DUTIES IS A SERIOUS CRIME."
The statute also requires that health care providers "report all assaults on medical care providers to the State Department of Health on an annual basis." Contact OKPCA (cheit@okpca.org) to request signs to comply with SB 1290.
|
|
|
2020 UDS Training
Day 1 recording - Passcode: Q$9!.UsR
Day 2 recording - Passcode: l+pBW62z
Marketplace Outreach & Enrollment Roundtable
Monday, Dec 14
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
QI Director's Guide to a Quick and Effective UDS CQM Review
Hosted by Azara
Tuesday, Dec 15
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Understanding The Impact Of COVID-19 On Social Determinants Of Health
Hosted by Relias
Tuesday, Dec 15
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
FY 2021 Ending the HIV Epidemic – PCHP TA
Wednesday, Dec 16
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Use the link to join the day of the session
Call-in: 888-942-9260
Passcode: 2706135
Laying the Foundation for Lawyers on the Health Center Team Part II: Funding, MOUs & Sustainability
Hosted by the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
Thursday, Dec 17
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Promising Practices in National Diabetes Prevention Program Implementation - Part 2
Hosted by The National Center for Farmworker Health
Thursday, Dec 17
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Getting Back on Track After the Impact of COVID-19: HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening Guideline Updates
Hosted by American Cancer Society
Wednesday, Jan 20
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
|
|
|
COVID-19 Vaccine Updates: Oklahoma health center staff are scheduled to receive COVID vaccines beginning in January. They have been included in Phase 2 of the state distribution plan. Phase 1, with distribution beginning next week, is limited to inpatient settings.
Phase 2 (which is anticipated to initiate in January 2021) will include workers in urgent care, outpatient facilities, primary care, federally qualified health centers, community health centers, rural health centers, pharmacies (not involved in the federal allocation plan), home health, hospice, rehabilitation services, occupational/physical therapy, etc. View the COVID-19 Priority Population Framework for Oklahoma.
Information about the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider enrollment is below:
COVID-19 Resources You Can Use Now
- Best Practices on Vaccine Storage and Handling. CDC’s Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit now includes an addendum with best practices and other resources to assist COVID-19 vaccination providers with proper storage and handling of COVID-19 vaccines. This addendum aims to help providers meet the requirements of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Agreement. The toolkit will be updated as COVID-19 vaccines are authorized or approved. You may sign up for email updates anytime the toolkit is updated.
- COVID-19 Vaccine Training Module for Healthcare Providers. This new web-on-demand module is for healthcare providers who will be administering COVID-19 vaccine. The training includes information about COVID-19 vaccine EUAs, vaccine safety, and general information about vaccine storage, handling, administration, and reporting.
- Example COVID-19 Operation documents
Health Center Funding Opportunity – Primary Care HIV Prevention Funding (PCHP): Oklahoma Health centers that did not receive FY 2020 PCHP funding are eligible to apply for the FY2021 Ending the HIV Epidemic – Primary Care HIV Prevention (PCHP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (HRSA-21-092). FY 2021 PCHP applications are due in Grants.gov: by Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 10:59 PM, and are due in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks: Monday, March 1, 2021 at 4:00 PM.
HRSA will host a TA webinar for applicants. Resources are available on the PCHP TA webpage. Join the webinar on Wednesday, Dec 16 from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM. Use this link to join the day of the session. You can call-in at 888-942-9260 using passcode 2706135.
OHCA Clarification on Medicaid Telehealth Billing: OKPCA has received the clarification on telehealth billing from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. When submitting telehealth claims, FQHC providers can bill either T1015 GT or a CPT code with GT but not both. If the claim has GT modifier on both lines, the system logic will pay the CPT code on the detail line fee for service.
For example, here is what happens under various scenarios:
- Bill T1015GT and 99212: T1015GT pays encounter and 99212 pays 0.00
- Bill T1015GT alone: pays encounter
- Bill T1015GT and 99212GT: 99212GT pays FFS and T1015GT encounter denies
- Bill T1015 and 99212GT; 99212GT pays FFS and T1015 encounter denies.
New Funding Opportunity to Expand the Behavioral Health Workforce: HRSA released a new funding opportunity to increase the supply and distribution of behavioral health professionals in high need areas. Award recipients will train students to work with children and adolescents at risk for behavioral health disorders. Check eligibility and apply by Thursday, January 21, 2021.
The New CFO Leadership Institute: NACHC is hosting a six-month learning collaborative offering big picture concepts, strategic leadership training, and peer networking for new health center financial leaders. It will ensure you have the training, resources, and support you need to successfully lead your health center in an ever-changing health care environment. The curriculum will provide interactive and action-oriented learning experiences that meet the training needs of today’s Chief Financial Officers.
Workforce Survey: Oklahoma Primary Care Association, alongside the Health Resources & Services Administration Bureau of Health Workforce (HRSA BHW) and Primary Care Associations across the country, are working to increase provider recruitment and retention. HRSA’s new Health Professions Education and Training (HP-ET) Initiative will enhance health centers’ capabilities to recruit, develop, and retain their workforce by exposing health and allied health professions students, trainees, and residents to education and training programs conducted at health centers. The HP-ET Initiative will use the Readiness to Train Assessment Tool (RTAT) to help health centers assess and improve their readiness to engage in health professions training programs. Ideally, a key contact at each health center will provide the RTAT survey link to all employees of the health center for completion. Access the link for the RTAT survey here.
Social Determinants of Health Webinar Featuring Jim Taliaferro Community Mental Health Center: On Tuesday, December 15, 2020, at 12:00 PM, Chance Wilson, Director of Health Home at Jim Taliaferro Community Mental Health Center, will join Dr. Rola Aamar, PhD, Senior Consultant for Clinical Effectiveness at Relias; Dr. Leigh Steiner, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Analytics and Applications at Relias Community Mental Health Center, for a webinar entitled "Understanding The Impact Of COVID-19 On Social Determinants Of Health." The session will provide an update on the effects of the pandemic on social determinants, a case study on how one community mental health center is using data to manage their Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act initiative in conjunction with mental health and substance abuse prevention initiatives, and a three-pronged model for reducing consumer risk for lack of access to mental health and social supports in 2021.
|
|
- Health report: Premature death, ACEs continue to top list of Oklahoma's challenges (Tulsa World)
- Oklahoma Health Officials Plan To Enter Agreement With Nonprofit For Public Health Lab Management (KGOU)
- Eleventh Hour Rulemaking: HHS Eliminates Safe Harbor Protections for PBM Drug Rebates; and Creates Two New Safe Harbors for Point-of-Service Discounts and PBM Fixed-Fee Arrangements (National Law Review)
- It’s Not Just You: Picking a Health Insurance Plan Is Really Hard (The New York Times)
- New interoperability rules address prior authorization inefficiencies, CMS says (Healthcare Finance)
- Biden picks California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead Health and Human Services (NBC News)
-
|
|
|
|
|
