August 2022 Medicaid e-Newsletter

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August 19, 2022

Issue 6, Volume 7

Medicaid e-News

Medicaid news for members, providers and stakeholders.

*Note: Some information in this newsletter pertains to two or more audiences. Viewers are encouraged to read through all sections in case there is information pertaining to them.

August Highlights

Medicaid and Medicare Celebrates 57 Years of Service to People in Iowa

On July 30 2022, Medicaid and Medicare celebrated 57 years of service. U.S. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra released the following statement in remark to the occasion:

"On the 57^th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, we celebrate the peace of mind that these critical programs have offered Americans for decades. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to protecting and strengthening Medicare and Medicaid for the nearly 140 million Americans who access care through these programs. At HHS, we have made it a priority to increase access for everyone eligible for coverage, and today, our team continues to break barriers when it comes to enrollment."

Today, nearly 140 million Americans benefit from Medicaid and Medicare services. Medicaid alone covers more than 24% of the total U.S. population.

Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Celebrates 25 Years of Service

Not only did Medicaid and Medicare celebrate a birthday this month, but the CHIP program is celebrating 25 years of providing healthcare coverage to uninsured children in the U.S. Iowa’s CHIP program, known as Healthy Well Kids in Iowa (Hawki), provides critical healthcare coverage for families who don’t qualify for traditional Medicaid.

HHS Alignment Update

August marks the end of summer and starts the back to school season. It also marked some big announcements and our new, combined agency, the Department of Health and Human Services. We rolled out the new agency at the beginning of the month and we will continue to announce updates through this year of transition. Our team here at Iowa Medicaid is dedicated to continuing to communicate with our members, providers and stakeholders through the alignment process.

To learn more about the HHS alignment, visit: Iowa Health and Human Services Alignment | HHS Alignment

Check your Mailbox for Your Open Choice Mailing

Iowa Medicaid gained many new members at the beginning of the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE). Because of this, many members' Open Choice Period starts at the end of the summer. These Open Choice mailings will go out throughout this month, so keep an eye out on your mailbox!

If you need assistance, need to update your contact information or want to get ahead of the Open Choice curve, contact member services at 1-800-338-8366.

Iowa Medicaid Members Eligible for Internet Discounts

Did you know as a Medicaid member you are eligible for discounted internet service? The Federal Communications Commission recently launched the Affordable Connectivity Program and through this program all Medicaid members can get internet services for a discounted $30 a month ($75 on Tribal lands). Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 on a laptop, desktop or a tablet.
Enroll in the program here.

EasterSeals Medical Equipment Recycling Program

Did you know that Easterseals Iowa has a durable medical equipment recycling program? If you have items like wheelchairs, walkers, shower benches or chairs, commodes or scooters that you are not longer using, you can donate them to Easterseals Iowa, they will refurbish and sanitize and then loan back out to those in need!

For more information about this program, visit their equipment loan website.

There's Still Time to Provide Your Feedback on the Home and Community-Based Services Evaluation

Iowa HHS has partnered with researchers at Mathematica and their partners at the Harkin Institute to conduct a systemwide assessment of community-based services for people with behavioral health, disability and aging needs.

Community-based services are the services many members need to stay in their homes and neighborhoods rather than receiving care in institutional settings. These cases may include case management, personal care, home health care and transportation. The assessment seeks to understand how people access and use these services through Medicaid and other programs. By early 2023, the research team expects to make recommendations to enhance and improve service delivery of Iowa Medicaid waivers. But to do so, they need your help!

Through August 31, people in Iowa can share their experiences with community-based services in a feedback form available here. Or, if you'd rather give your input in person, sign up for a listening session in your area by emailing here or calling (515) 271-3688.

Listening session participants will receive a $25 gift card for their time. They can also receive a $10 gift card for travel costs. Most sessions will be in English, with options for American Sign Language and Communication Access Realtime Translation.

To view the press release about this opportunity, click here.

Providers

Reminder: The Provider Refund Address has Changed

Iowa Medicaid wants to remind providers that the address for their refunds has changed as of March 8, 2022. If your organization has identified an FFS overpayment, voluntary refunds are no longer using P.O. box 310202. Please update the address to the following:

Iowa Medicaid

P.O. Box 850292

Minneapolis, MN 55485-0202

The old P.O. box discontinues forwarding these refunds to the new address later this month, so please be sure you use the new address to avoid any delays. This change will not impact other PO boxes or other Medicaid programs. If you have questions, please contact Provider Services at 1-800-338-7909 or at imeproviderservices@dhs.state.ia.us.

Providers are Encouraged to Attend Upcoming Training Series

There are now additional training opportunities available in the Iowa Medicaid Competency-Based Training Series:

August 31, 2022 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. - This training covers the Introduction to Behavior Plan Development with Susan Smith from I-TABS. There is an additional and optional 30 minutes to discuss behavior plan templates from 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM. Registration is now open.
September 20 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and September 21 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. (same training) - Learn about service documentation with emphasis on the changes to Iowa administrative code. Registration will be open soon, check out Iowa Medicaid's Facebook and Twitter webpages for the registration link.
October will include person-centered planning for Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) providers. The training will address how to use service plans to meet complex service needs. Date and time to be determined.

If you missed any of the past trainings, past trainings have been recorded and archived can be found here.

Providers Play an Important Role in the Medicaid PERM Reviews

Providers' roles in the state's PERM program is critical. They are asked to be responsive to requests to information by providing timely responses to medical record requests and communicate with Iowa Medicaid's Provider Services team to determine is there are any barriers or concerns in responding to the requests. Currently, providers have 75 days to submit the requested record initially, and 15 more days if additional information is requested. If providers are unable to provide the requested information within this timeframe, they are asked to contact Provider Services. Failure to respond will result in an initial finding of payment error and overpayment finding on Iowa Medicaid and the Provider.

CMS has kicked off the state fiscal year 2024 (SFY2024) PERM cycle and is currently reviewing claims paid from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

Iowa Medicaid's PERM program finds improper payments in the Medicaid and CHIP and produces the error rates for each program. The last PERM cycle had an overall error rate of 4.71%. The root causes of the errors were no documentation submitted to support the services billed, and during enrollment and risk-based screening.

For more information, providers can visit the Iowa Medicaid PERM webpage located here.

This notice will be published to the informational letters webpage in the next couple weeks with additional information.

Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Attestation Requirement Update

The Information Letter (IL) 2361-MC EVV Attestation Update Requirement has been posted here.

The IL contains the link for the Annual Attestation which must be completed by September 1, 2022, or it can be found here.

Question: Can I complete my annual attestation via the Provider Self-Assessment?
- Answer: No, a separate form is required and must be completed via the provided link.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Webpage has been Updated

The ARPA webpage on the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) website has been updated. Providers and stakeholders are encouraged to view and subscribe to the webpage (the "subscribe" button is at the bottom of the page) for updates on ARPA resources, updates and quarterly updates.

View the webpage here.

Stakeholders

New CMS COVID-19 Unwind Guidance

On August 5, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new chart that provides a more clear picture into the work that CMS and states have been preparing for once the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) ends.

This chart outlines the approved section 1902 (e)(14) waiver flexibilities that CMS has granted to states. These waiver flexibilities support states’ efforts to pursue strategies that facilitate the renewal process and ensure due process protections during the unwinding period following the end of the COVID-19 PHE.

Learn more here.

The 2023 Legislative Session is Upon Us!

It is August, which means we are in the depths of legislative preparations - 2023 will mark the first legislative session where we fully operate as the Department of Health and Human Services.

HHS will be putting forward a technical alignment bill and looks forward to developing our agency's first legislative package. We are excited to engage in legislation and remain committed to providing high quality programs and services that protect and improve the health and resiliency of individuals, families, and communities.

The Importance of Teaching your Kids About the New 988 Mental Health Crisis Line

Our team at Iowa Medicaid wants to direct focus on the importance of teaching your children at any age about the services 988 offers as they navigate through the challenges being a kid - or a teenager - brings. Being a growing kid brings big new emotions that can be difficult to maneuver. The new 988 line is for all ages going through a mental health crisis.

Learn more about the 988 line here.

Managed Care Plan (MCP) Updates

Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation Awards Water Fluoridation Grants for Two Iowa Communities

Delta Dental recently announced a $25,000 grant to Keokuk and a nearly $14,000 grant to Iowa City to update their community water fluoridation systems. According to the HHS Public Health division, water fluoridation prevents up to 25% of tooth decay and for every $1 spent on community water fluoridation, $38 is saved in dental treatment costs.

For more information about Delta Dental's grant programs, click here.

Meet your Dental Plan Representatives at the Iowa State Fair

Say "hi" to your Delta Dental representatives at the Iowa State Fair this year! Find them on the main concourse in front of the Grandstands.

Amerigroup and Reach Out and Read Expand the Child Literacy Program in West Burlington

On August 11, Amerigroup Iowa and Reach Out and Read (ROR) came together to support children and families in Des Moines County with resources for building healthy relationships and social-emotional development. Amerigroup donated $35,000 to the Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa, Inc. in West Burlington, one of the largest pediatric providers in Des Moines County. The money will go towards expanding the pediatric program and serve an estimated 3,000 well-child visits annually and the distribution of that many children's books.

Read more about Amerigroup's donation and the literacy program here.

Iowa Total Care Makes a Sizable Donation to the Young Women's Resource Center (YWRC)

Iowa Total Care (ITC) donated $10,000 in sponsorship funds to the YWRC. The donation will support general operations and programming to benefit local girls and young women ages 10 to 24.

The YWRC provides counseling, empowerment, and support for young mothers. Through these programs, participants are able to grow in self-confidence, build self-esteem, learn about healthy relationships, gain reproductive health knowledge, receive individual support, develop resiliency, and strengthen coping skills.

To read more about ITC's donation and learn more about the YWRC, you can view the press release here.

Let's Discuss

Medicaid events and things to know

Registration for the August 2022 Town Halls is now Open

Registration is now open for virtual town hall meetings for Medicaid providers and members for August 2022.

Providers and members can also now sign up for the Iowa Medicaid Town Halls event page on Facebook to receive updates about and links for upcoming Town Halls.

Upcoming virtual town hall schedule:

Thursday, August 25, 2022 4 to 5 p.m.: providers | 5 to 6 p.m.: members
Thursday, September 22, 2022 4 to 5 p.m.: providers | 5 to 6 p.m.: members
Thursday, October 27, 2022 4 to 5 p.m.: providers | 5 to 6 p.m.: members
(Tentative) Thursday, November 17, 2022 4 to 5 p.m.: providers | 5 to 6 p.m.: members

Other ways to register:

Providers interested in attending the July session may register online. Advance registration is encouraged but not required. Login credentials for the virtual meeting will be shared via email with those who have registered on the day of the meeting. Credentials will also be posted on the HHS website. Providers, please feel free to share this information with members.
Members interested in attending the July session may also register online. Advance registration is encouraged but not required. Login credentials for the virtual meeting will be shared with those who have registered on the day of the meeting. Members who need assistance in registering may contact Iowa Medicaid Member Services at 1-800-338-8366.

Medicaid Escalations Guide Now Posted

While Iowa Medicaid and our MCO partners strive to make your healthcare experience with us as seamless as possible, we understand that sometimes there are more complex issues that our members and providers need resolved. Because of this, our Medicaid Director, Elizabeth Matney, has put together a comprehensive guide to help navigate you through the steps to escalate an issue within your MCO or Iowa Medicaid. Check it out and download it here.