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HHS Finalizes Evaluation Report of Recommendations to Strengthen Community-based Services
The Iowa Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS) is excited to share updates about the Community-based Services Evaluation (CBSE). As a reminder, Iowa HHS engaged Mathematica and The Harkin Institute to conduct an evaluation of the state’s community-based behavioral, disability and aging services to understand how Iowan’s access and use services through Medicaid and other programs.
As a part of this collective effort, on January 31, 2023, the Team shared an evaluation report: Recommendations for Strengthening Iowa's Community-based Services System, which describes findings and recommendations to improve service delivery throughout the state. To review the findings and recommendations from the Evaluation Report, check-out Chapters I and II, which include three key recommendations suggesting Iowa HHS:
- Implement streamlined screening and improved processes to better align services with people’s needs
- Align CBS, including Medicaid HCBS waivers, to the needs of Iowans
- Maximize access to Medicaid HCBS and other CBS supports for people with long-term service and support needs
Next, the Team is developing a Transformation Plan to guide the implementation of the recommendations and to transform Iowa’s CBS system. To support system-wide transformation, the Team will continue to engage HHS staff, providers and other professionals delivering services, members and caregivers in a variety of ongoing and intermittent feedback opportunities. We will share updates on next steps on the website and through the Medicaid Newsletter, social media and other communication platforms. Stay tuned!
Iowa Medicaid Transformation Continues, Requests Proposals for Dental Health Care Delivery
On February 13, Iowa HHS announced plans to request proposals for delivery of dental care services for people in Iowa. This aligns closely with Iowa Medicaid's commitment to ensure all members have equitable access to high quality services in all areas of healthcare, to include dental care. The process will build stability for members and providers and also increase the state's ability to determine the right number of dental plans for Iowa. This request for proposal will provide both Iowa Dental Wellness Plan and Hawki coverage.
Below is a tentative timeline for the RFP; these dates are estimates and are subject to change:
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Spring 2023: Question and answer period after release of the RFP
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Summer 2023: Deadline for bid proposals
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Fall 2023: HHS to award contract(s)
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Fall 2023: Dental plan onboarding to begin
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Spring 2024: Dental plan readiness review
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Summer 2024: Dental plan operations to begin
To learn more about the Dental RFP, please view the news release here.
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 Unwind Resources Now Available on the HHS Website
Resources concerning the Continuous Coverage Unwind Plan are now available on the HHS website. These materials are meant to help members navigate the unwind as seamlessly as possible. Materials will continue to be posted on the website as the unwind plan progresses. Materials currently available are:
- A document that explains the unwind plan
- A slide deck for stakeholders and their constituents
- A toolkit of information and resources
- How-to guides for members applying for the Medicaid program
- Previews of upcoming mailings members will receive
- A frequently asked questions document
- Printables for offices and bulletins
- Medicaid resources
To check out these resources, click here.
Iowa Medicaid's Director Discusses the CBSE Report on "I Am Able" Radio Show
Iowa Medicaid Director, Elizabeth Matney, spoke on the “I Am Able” radio show Saturday morning. She spoke about the recently released Community-Based Services Evaluation report and why Iowa Medicaid thought an assessment of the HCBS waiver program was necessary, how the evaluation was conducted, the results in the report and the next steps in the plan moving forward. You can find ways to get involved on the Iowa HHS CBSE webpage.
Listen to the podcast here.
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Upcoming Free Trainings for Long-Term Services and Supports Providers
February 23, 2023 | 1:00PM – 3:30PM | Virtual Registration Open[1]
Accessibility Gone Viral
Join us virtually to learn from Daman Wandke, CEO/Founder of Wandke Consulting, about the following topics: Disability Awareness, Ableism, Universal Design (UD), In-Person Best Practices, Welcoming Websites
March 8, 2023 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Virtual Registration Open[2]
Incident Reporting for HCBS Professionals
- Review Iowa Administrative Code (IAC) requirements for incident reporting
- Define the difference between a major and minor incident
- Identify updates to the reporting process
- Review example reporting to understand reporting categories
- Gain knowledge regarding incident report troubleshooting and resources for each reporting entity
April 11, 2023 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Virtual Registration Open[3]
Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement (Part 2)
This is the second presentation on QA/QI initiatives, but no need to see the first session to attend! You can either catch the first session recording on our Training Archive or join in for Part 2 and catch up with the first session at your own convenience, if needed. This session will expand upon ways to establish a continuous quality improvement program for an organization. Providers will learn how to collect and report on data that includes an evaluation of policy, procedure, and outcomes to ensure quality care. This training is a good fit for new providers, those interested in learning about the expectations of quality improvement, and those who may need to take their quality improvement processes to the next level.
[1] Registration link: https://telligen.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElcuCqrDgrHtPhalNej3u8y8ClmTMBfFqn
[2] Registration link: https://telligen.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsfuGtqT0sH9TsFerjY1RvjT6S4g6qMuUr
[3] Registration link: https://telligen.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpceutqDwiHtM4yV5h087HIJH72nWxTwyd
Molina Healthcare of Iowa: Provider Timeline
Thank you to all providers that participated in our Round 1: Kickoff Claims Testing call on February 3! We appreciate your partnership with ensuring successful claims adjudication.
Claims testing and timelines: Providers will need to be contracted in order to test claims with Molina Healthcare. Second round testing begins April 3, 2023.
If providers have questions pertaining to the agreement or your organization did not receive an agreement, please contact them here. Executed agreements can be returned to the same email address.
Still in need of a Molina Healthcare Provider Manual? Get yours here.
Molina Healthcare looks forward to working with providers to service members starting July 1, 2023!
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 American Rescue Act (ARPA) Employee Training and Scholarship Grant
One-time Recruitment/Retention Provider Payments
Activity overview: Provider payments would serve the purpose of assisting qualified HCBS providers to fund recruitment and retention of direct support professionals. Grant funds must be used to cover costs related direct support professional wage increases, recruitment, and retention incentive payments to direct support professionals.
Final distribution Recruitment and Retention Funds occurred in December 2022. Eligible HCBS providers received over $108M to provide recruitment and retention payments to direct support staff.
HCBS Employee Training and Scholarship Grant Program
Activity Overview: Grants would serve the purpose of assisting qualified HCBS providers to fund employee training and scholarships for education and training in nursing, behavioral health, and other health care fields. Grant funds must be used to cover costs related to training and education that will enhance the quality of direct services provided and/or cover the costs related to a course of study that is expected to lead to career advancement with the provider or in the HCBS field.
The first round of Employee Training and Scholarship grant funds were distributed February 16, 2023, to 26 providers applying before November 20, 2023. Eligible providers received over $1.3M to enhance their employee training and development programs. The grant application remains open. Grant applications received after November 20, 2022, will be reviewed beginning in March 2023.
Health Information Technology (IT) and Infrastructure Grant
Activity Overview: Develop a provider Health IT and Infrastructure grant for providers. The movement of the system towards increased outcome monitoring and better continuity of care will take an investment in infrastructure for our HCBS providers. Provider’s eligible for the HIT & I grant funds deliver services in integrated community-based settings that are fully compliant with the HCBS settings requirements and are not institutional settings. All grant funds to build homes or renovate existing homes or structures are integrated community-based settings that are fully compliant with the HCBS settings requirements
- The grant application period closed November 30, 2022
- Applications received to date: 147
- Amount Requested $85,436,724.20
- HHS, Iowa Medicaid is in the process of reviewing the applications received and will begin distributing funds to eligible applicants during FFY23 Q2.
Expand Remote Support through HCBS Provider Technology grants
Activity Overview: One-time grant to purchase technology and equipment to support the direct delivery of HCBS. Remote Monitoring also known as Remote supports is the provision of support by staff at a remote location who are engaged with the participant to assist and respond to the participant’s health, safety, and other needs through technology and smart devices. Remote monitoring works in conjunction with face-to-face human assistance to increase HCBS members autonomy, quality of life and enhancing the opportunity for community engagement. The type of equipment and where it is placed in the home will be specific to each person’s skills, goals, and support needs. These remote monitoring services enable people to use technology in their homes, such as SMART appliances, monitors, sensors, communication devices, etc., through which they can receive supports from staff who are in another location and receive in person supports when needed based on the individual’s skills, goals, preferences, and remote monitoring protocols.
- The grant application period closed on November 30, 2022
- Applications Received: 41
- Amount Requested $4,685,460.00
- The ARPA project evaluation team is in the process of evaluating the applications and will make final recommendations for project approval and
- funding amounts.
- HHS, Iowa Medicaid is in the process of reviewing the applications received and will begin distributing funds to eligible applicants during FFY23 Q2.
A Notice on Rate Reviews
Currently, Iowa Medicaid does not have a regular process to review provider reimbursement schedules. The result is that Medicaid provider reimbursement lags with changes in the cost of providing the service, and it can also result in the reimbursement for services being misaligned with other services that may have received a targeted rate increase.
Right now, there are two options for the implementation of rate reviews:
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Option 1
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Option 2
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Package the rate review information to the Governor’s Office and Legislature for each appropriation.
1. Each year the rate review process would show net increases or decreases to be incorporated into the budget.
2. Decisions would be made during the budget process.
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Annual HHS appropriations bills to include a percentage of anticipated rate growth each year.
1. Medicaid would adjust rates within those thresholds.
2. Requires no additional action within the Governor’s or Legislative budget process up to the 1%.
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Managed Care Plan (MCP) Updates |
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 From left to right: Jennifer Vermeer, Plan President; Nafissa Egbuonye, AVP Growth and Community Engagement Manager; and Virginia Barette, Rural Health Program Manager.
The Molina Team Honors Black History Month
Molina of Iowa was a proud sponsor of the "I’ll Make Me A World In Iowa: Iowa’s African American Festival" held on February 3 and 4. The two-day event celebrates black excellence and culture. Molina team members were excited to connect with the community and show support for the 25-year event. Jennifer Vermeer, Plan President, Nafissa Egbuonye, AVP Growth and Community Engagement, and Virginia Barrette, Rural Health Program Manager, spoke with attendees and learned how to best serve the African American community in Iowa.
 Amerigroup Supports Doula Work Throughout Iowa
Childbirth in the U.S. can at times be dangerous, compared with other developed nations. Roughly every 12 hours, a woman dies from pregnancy-related causes, and 60% of these causes are preventable. These alarming statistics are why Amerigroup is committed to supporting Iowa doulas to improve maternal and infant health throughout the birthing journey.
This year, Amerigroup Iowa is providing an $82,000 grant to Doula What You Love Doula Services Agency to support doula services in Fremont, Mills, Montgomery, and Page Counties. This funding will drive the hands-on education, training, and certification of doulas who serve rural areas, where such services and resources can be scarce for expectant parents. These trainings will help doulas facilitate the expectant parent’s mental and physical preparation for pregnancy, labor, birth, and beyond into parenthood.
In 2022, Amerigroup Iowa gave $100,000 to the Iowa Black Doula Collective, an organization focused on creating access and education services to diverse birth families across the state by empowering their reproductive health, fertility, birth, and post-partum journeys. The funding specifically helped educate, train, and prepare doulas of color in becoming DONA-certified so they could serve some of Iowa’s most vulnerable community members. In 2021, Amerigroup Iowa also gave more than $65,000 in grants to organizations in both Polk and Scott Counties in support of doula training and programming.
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Tooth Fairy Tricks from MCNA Dental
If you want to shake up your clean mouth routine, other toothpaste flavors like cinnamon, bubble gum and fruit clean just as well as mint toothpaste -- try it out!
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Oral Health Education for Diabetes and Heart Disease Prevention and Management Project Receives $5,000 Grant from Delta Dental of Iowa
A grant from the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation provided funding necessary for the translation and printing of the educational flyers for The Oral Health Education for Diabetes and Heart Disease Prevention and Management Project. In addition to educational information on the link between oral health, CVD and diabetes, the flyers also include contact information for free or low-cost oral health resources available across Iowa. The educational flyers will be distributed by contracted clinics and local programs as part of Iowa HHS American Heart Month outreach activities.
The Oral Health Education for Diabetes and Heart Disease Prevention and Management Project is a collaboration between four programs within Iowa HHS: Care for Yourself-WISEWOMAN (CFY-WISEWOMAN), Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Diabetes Management and I-Smile Silver program.
For more information on this project please contact:
Denise Attard Sacco at denise.attard-sacco@idph.iowa.gov and McKyla Carson at mckyla.carson@idph.iowa.gov.
Iowa Total Care is excited to offer trainings for behavioral health (BH), physical health, and Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) providers at no cost.
Training Spotlight
Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Training
Trainings are now available for LTSS providers to support them in delivering care to our members. There are a variety of dates and times available.
Please visit the Provider Trainings & Webinars page to register for the trainings listed below:
- An Overview of Trauma-Informed Care When Working with Older Adults
- Behavior Management 101/102
- Cultural Competency
- Culturally Competent Care for LGBT Older Adult Community
- De-Escalation Techniques
- Depression in the Elderly
- Stress Management for Caregivers
- Substance Use Disorders: An Overview for Health Care Professionals
- The Keys of Fall Prevention
- Understanding the Basics of Dementia
Additional Training Opportunities
Below are additional trainings available for you and your staff. Visit our Provider Trainings & Webinars page to register for a training session!
Behavioral Health Training
- Behavioral Health 101: Bipolar Disorder
- Behavioral Health 101: Depression
- Behavioral Health 101: Schizophrenia
- Integrate Health Care
Current/Upcoming Training
On Demand Learning
- Behavioral Health: Experience of Care & Health Outcomes (ECHO) Survey
- NIA Training
- Utilization Management Microlearning Series
Previous Trainings
- 2022 Iowa Medicaid Annual Provider Training
- MY2022 Medical Record Training
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Business Card Leads to Hope and a Safe Link
Something as small as an Iowa Total Care business card led to hope, a cell phone and healthcare solutions for a member in need.
A member with nowhere to go was recently discharged from a hospital. Without a connection to ITC, that member would have had nowhere to go and no easy way to ask for help. Fortunately, an ITC case manager’s business card – given to the member on an earlier occasion – pointed the way to safe solutions.
Contact information on the business card put the member in touch with an ITC case manager who assisted in finding available housing. The member’s communication needs called for a Safe Link phone. Plus, treatment for liver infections and re-established services for Behavioral Health were arranged by the case manager.
That little business card and the case manager’s big help proved to be life-changing.
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Let's Discuss
Medicaid events and things to know
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Registration for the First February 2023 Town Halls is Now Open
February registration is now open for Iowa Medicaid's monthly Town Halls.
Providers and members may also join the Iowa Medicaid Town Halls event on Facebook to receive updates and links for upcoming Town Halls.
The upcoming Town Halls Schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, February 23, 2023
- Thursday, March 9, 2023 (members only)
- Thursday, March 30, 2023
- Thursday, April 27, 2023
- Thursday, May 11, 2023 (members only)
To register:
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Providers may sign up for the first February session online here. Providers, please feel free to share this information with members.
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Members may sign up for the February Town Halls online here. Members who need assistance in registering may contact Iowa Medicaid Member Services at 1-800-338-8366
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
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Recently Posted Public Notices
Click the links to view recently posted public notices:
Job Opportunities with Iowa Medicaid
HHS-Iowa Medicaid is seeking applicants for the following positions:
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Follow Iowa Medicaid on Social Media! |
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Iowa Medicaid is on Facebook and Twitter! Follow us for daily updates on your Medicaid coverage.
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