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Health Center News

Preparing Health Center Leaders for Medicaid Expansion


Health center administrative and operational teams (CEOs, COOs, CFOs, IT Directors, Enrollment Directors, etc.) are encouraged to attend a webinar with OKPCA on Monday, May 10 at 11:00 AM on how to prepare for Medicaid expansion.

As many as 200,000 Oklahomans are expected to gain coverage under Medicaid starting July 1, including tens of thousands of existing community health center patients. Experiences with expansion in other states show that health centers and their patients have a lot to gain by proactively preparing for expansion.

Joe Rivera, Founder and Principal Consultant of Q in E Services, LLC, led the enrollment department team at Valley-Wide Health Systems, one of the largest rural CHCs in the country. When Colorado expanded Medicaid, Joe and his team helped to transition thousands of uninsured patients from self-pay to Medicaid and Marketplace eligibility. He now assists primary care associations and health centers to support and strengthen their enrollment functions.

Register now for the Medicaid Expansion Preparation Webinar.



OKPCA continues to host a series of Outreach and Enrollment Workshops with Steve Goldman. These interactive workshops are aimed at enrollment teams. Learn more.

Policy & Advocacy

Congresswoman Bice Visits Health Center in District

On Thursday, Congresswoman Stephanie Bice visited Variety Care (pictured below). The recently elected congresswoman toured the health center in her district and discussed their ongoing efforts around maternal and childhood health, cancer, and autism. Congresswoman Bice signed on to the Community Health Center House Appropriations Letter.
 




HHS Announces $1 Billion for Health Center Capital Funding

On Tuesday, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $1 Billion from the American Rescue Plan to fund COVID-19 related capital needs and to construct, renovate, and expand facilities and purchase new equipment. Awards will be made to health centers that submit a completed application, which are due in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks by 4:00 PM on June 24. Click here for award submission guidance and resources. On May 6, 2021, HRSA will host an overview webinar from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM.

HRSA will provide funding in the form of a grant. The amount of funding awarded to each recipient will be determined according to the following formula:

  • $500,000 base amount, plus
  • $11 per patient as reported in 2019 UDS.
Health centers are encouraged to consider projects to modify, enhance, and expand health care infrastructure that will complement or otherwise advance broader operational objectives as they relate to:
  • Equitable access to COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and treatment;
  • Other current and anticipated COVID-19 and primary health care needs in the service area; and
  • Population and social determinants of health that may impact access to care, contribute to poor health outcomes, and exacerbate health disparities.
Visit the American Rescue Plan funding for Health Center Construction and Capital Improvements technical assistance (TA) webpage for award submission guidance, information about upcoming question and answer sessions, and other resources.
 

House Appropriations Letter Supporting Health Centers Closes with 275 Co-Signers

The FY22 Community Health Centers House Appropriations Letter has closed with 275 co-signers, demonstrating continued bipartisan support for health centers. The letter is addressed to the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor HHS) Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro and Oklahoma's own Ranking Member Tom Cole. Congressman Mullin, Congressman Lucas, and Congresswoman Bice all signed on to the letter. Thank you for your advocacy on this issue! The Senate Appropriations Letter, which is still open, has been signed by Oklahoma Senators Inhofe and Lankford.
 

HHS Eases Restrictions on Administering Buprenorphine

On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released Practice Guidelines for the Administration of Buprenorphine for Treating Opioid Use Disorder. The new guidelines exempt eligible physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified nurse midwives from federal certification requirements related to training, counseling and other ancillary services that are part of the process for obtaining a waiver to treat up to 30 patients with buprenorphine. Read the press release.


FCC $250 Million Telehealth Program

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that the seven-day window to submit applications for funding under Round Two of its COVID Telehealth Program will run from 11:00 AM on Thursday, April 29 through 11:00 AM Thursday, May 6. Health centers are encouraged to apply, particularly because:
  • The application will be fairly simple. Applicants must provide some basic data, but no extensive narratives are required.
  • Given the scoring system that the FCC has established, health centers are well-positioned to be approved for funding – particularly those who applied in Round One (last spring/ summer) but were not funded.
  • Applicants can receive up to $1 million to support 100% of the cost of services and supplies needed to expand telehealth.
Health centers—particularly those in rural areas and those who applied but did not receive funding from this program last year—will receive significant priority points, including:
  • 15 points for applicants who applied but were not funded in round one last year
  • 10 points for being an FQHC
  • 10 points for serving a HPSA with a score of 13 or higher
  • 5 points for serving a rural area

Trainings and Webinars

Today with Macrae
Hosted by BPHC
Tuesday, 5/4
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Azara Healthcare 2021 Annual User Conference
Hosted by Azara
May 4-6, 2021

FY 2021 American Rescue Plan – Health Center Construction and Capital Improvements (C8E)
Thursday, 5/6
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Phone Number: 833-568-8864
Webinar ID: 160 936 3792
Use link to join the day of the session

Medicaid Expansion Preparation
Hosted by Joe Rivera & OKPCA
Monday, 5/10
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

OKPCA & SVI Board Meetings
Wednesday, 5/12
12:30 PM

Buying Home Blood Pressure Monitors to Support SMBP
Hosted by NACHC
Thursday, 5/13
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Medical Marijuana Training
Hosted by Feldesman Tucker & OKPCA
Friday, 5/14
9:00 AM
Register now!

Coordinating Hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV Treatment in Primary Care
Hosted by the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium and the National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center Tuesday, 5/25
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Medicaid PPS Change in Scope
Hosted by OKPCA
Tuesday, 5/25
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Register now!

Is PACE in Your CHC’s Future of Caring for Aging Populations?
Hosted by NACHC & the National PACE Association
Tuesday, 5/4
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Health Center Happenings

Medicaid Prospective Payment System (PPS) Change in Scope Process Panel: Health center finance teams are invited to attend this presentation and panel on the Medicaid PPS change in scope process on Tuesday, May 25 at 1:00 PM. Health centers' Medicaid PPS rates are bundled, cost-based payments for qualifying providers and encounters. Changes to the PPS rate can be requested when costs rise due to increases in services delivered or the intensity of services provided. Variety Care CFO Tim Reddout will lead a brief presentation and join Charlie Vest, CFO of Central Oklahoma Family Medical Center, and Felicia Belvin, CFO of Caring Hands Healthcare Centers, on a panel to answer questions. Register now!

Medical Marijuana Training with FTLF: OKPCA is hosting a training on medical marijuana with Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell on Friday, May 14 at 9:00 AM. Community health centers in Oklahoma are invited to attend this training on balancing state and federal law with federal grant obligations. Register now!

Outreach and Enrollment Workshops: OKPCA is partnering with Steve Goldman, a Navigator with expertise in health center outreach and enrollment, to help health center certified application counselors (CACs), community health workers, and other enrollment staff to prepare for Medicaid expansion. Workshops will provide a combination of training on Medicaid and Marketplace enrollment assistance as well as a place for enrollment teams to ask questions and share best practices.

Upcoming workshops will be held Thursdays at 1:00 PM on April 29; May 6, 20; June 10, 24; July 8, 15, 22; August 5, 19.   Webinars will be recorded and materials will be posted on the Outreach and Enrollment Community on OKPCA's member portal. Learn more and register now.

Updated Medicaid Expansion Flyers: The Cover OK Coalition, led by the Oklahoma Policy Institute, has produced flyers in English and Spanish for health centers to use to get the word out to existing and potential patients about Medicaid expansion. The flyers now reflect that the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) will begin accepting applications June 1.
Upcoming BPHC Deadlines: Community health centers should be aware of the following Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) deadlines:
  • LAST DAY: Friday, 4/30 – End of Project Period for H8E (Expanded Capacity of COVID Testing) funding for health center grantees. Health centers that have not spent down all their funds by this date should contact their Project Officer. 
  • Monday, 5/3 – Firm deadline to report that health centers have hired an FTE with their FY2019 Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) funding. As of 4/15, over 300 CHCs still need to report to BPHC on this issue. 
  • View a spreadsheet of other upcoming health center deadlines.

Emergency Broadband Benefit Program: Health center patients can apply beginning May 12 for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. $3.2 billion in funding will be available to provide qualifying households a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute $10-$50 toward the purchase price.

Consumer advocacy groups, social service agencies, and other organizations that support broadband customers are welcome to print and distribute any or all of the toolkit's resources in their communities. Additionally, all are welcome to integrate the web banners and tiles into their websites.

Instructions for using zipped folders can be found in the Overview and Guide.

To apply:
  1. Contact your preferred participating broadband provider directly to learn about their application process.  
  2. Go to www.getemergencybroadband.org to apply online and to find participating providers near you. 
  3. Call 833-511-0311 for a mail-in application, and return it along with proof of eligibility to: Emergency Broadband Support Center P.O. Box 7081 London, KY 40742 

Providers Encouraged to Apply for NHSC by May 27: Given the increased funding provided under American Rescue Plan Act, HRSA is seeking to recruit the largest-ever class of primary care, dental, behavioral, and mental health care providers to participate in the program. Without enough program recruits, HRSA will not be able to provide National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayors to health centers with lower health professional shortage area (HPSA) scores. Individuals can apply for the Loan Repayment Program (LRP), Substance Use Disorder Workforce LRP (SUD Workforce LRP), and Rural Community LRP.

First HPSA Rescore Preview Now Available: Community Health Centers are now able to view their first preview of the National Shortage Designation 2.0 Update on the automatic Health Professional Shortage Area (auto-HPSA) portal. In late March, HRSA updated the scores using the 2020 census data and the latest infant mortality data. The census data will likely have the greatest impact on your scores. It is a key determinant in the provider-to-population ratio, which accounts for 40% of the primary care and dental HPSA scores and 28 percent of the mental health HPSA score. Let us know If you are having problems accessing your portal.

HRSA Healthy Grants Workshop Registration: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced that registration for the 2021 Healthy Grants Workshop – Presented as a Web Series, is now open. Register now for up to eight sessions. There is no cost to attend and you can attend as many sessions as you would like. The first session begins in May, followed by a new session every two weeks through August 24. Each session includes two to three topics, from grants policies, financial monitoring, and grant budgeting, to Prior Approvals, an Electronic Handbooks overview, and more.

2021 OKPCA Annual Conference - Call for Presenters: OKPCA is seeking abstracts through May 7 for breakout workshops and panels for our conference September 30 - October 1, 2021. This year's conference will be held at the Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel. OKPCA is looking for sessions lasting 1 hour and 15 minutes in the following areas:
  • General Sessions
  • Clinical (Care Innovations)
  • Enabling Services
  • Operations/Finance
  • Behavioral Health 
  • Board Governance
  • Population/Rural Health
  • Workforce/HR
  • Health Equity/Social Determinants of Health
  • Telehealth/Care Delivery Systems
  • Payment Transformation
  • HIV/Infectious Disease
  • Emergency Preparedness/Business Continuity
Use this link to submit an abstract by May 7.

Azara 2021 User Conference - Free Three-Day Event: The Azara Healthcare 2021 Annual User Conference is a free, three-day virtual event taking place May 4-6, 2021. Sessions will cover topics for all levels of users, new to advanced, and aim to broaden and deepen the use of products and modules. Brooke Lattimore, COO of The Health and Wellness Center, will be speaking alongside dozens of other health center experts. Register today!

Coverage for the Uninsured: Fact Sheets on COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage: In response to concerns of access barriers some patients face regarding documentation requests prior to receiving COVID-19 vaccination, and individuals inappropriately being sent bills for COVID-19 vaccine fees, HRSA created fact sheets to help patients and providers better understand their rights and responsibilities regarding access to COVID-19 vaccines. The COVID-19 vaccines are free to anyone living in the U.S. Learn more on HHS’ COVID-19 Care for Uninsured Individuals webpage.

Value-Based Reimbursement and Integrated Behavioral Health Community of Practice: Value-based reimbursement (VBR) offers a more equitable, integrated, and person-centered approach, but health centers may need support to navigate this complex process. HRSA invites health center staff to join an upcoming community of practice to learn VBR basics and what providers need to know and do as they work toward health care that is viable and sustainable for all. Because VBR cuts across all areas of a health center, participating teams can include managers in integration, quality improvement/quality assurance, health information technology (HIT), population health/data analysis, finance/billing, and, senior staff responsible for strategic planning. Participants can earn 1.5 CE credits for each session they attend, with a maximum of 9 CEs for participation in all six sessions.
Registration is open for the second cohort:
Community Health Worker Checklist: The National Association of Community Health Workers has released a checklist is designed to help health center administrators, managers, and care teams effectively leverage the skills and experience of Community Health Workers as part of vaccine rollout efforts. Health center teams have employed CHWs in essential roles throughout the pandemic response and this resource will help onboard and incorporate them as part of the next stage. Read more.

What We're Reading

  • Community health centers to get $1 billion to become 'state-of-the-art' facilities, improve equity (USA Today)
  • HHS gives $32M to expand COVID-19 support for health centers (Healthcare IT News)
  • Stitt Administration’s partially privatized Medicaid plan finds unexpected opponent: Oklahoma House Republicans (State Impact Oklahoma)
  • Oklahoma governor battles with members of own party over Medicaid privatization plan (KFOR)
  • Watch Now: THD's Bruce Dart describes two key COVID-19 metric thresholds that would raise concerns if crossed as mask mandate sunsets (Tulsa World)
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This newsletter is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,175,428 with 25% of the project financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.