Attention: Providers of Section 26, Day Health Services - Chapter II, Section 25, Dental Services Update
Maine Department of Health & Human Services sent this bulletin at 02/28/2020 08:50 AM EST
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Attention: Providers of Section 26, Day Health Services
Chapter III of the MaineCare Benefits Manual states that “Pursuant to P.L. 2017, ch. 460, Part B, Sec. B-2: Effective July 1, 2019, payment rates attributable to wages and salaries for personal care and related services will be increased annually by an inflation adjustment cost-of-living percentage in accordance with the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index [CPI], Medical care services (professional services, nursing home and adult day care services) from the prior December. These cost of living increases shall continue annually until the Department has completed a rate study for adult family care services, adult day services or homemaker services and the rates in the rate study have been implemented.”
Through an oversight, the Department did not implement this cost of living adjustment on July 1, 2019. Therefore, effective March 1, 2020, the Department will implement rates that provide the equivalent of the full annual cost of living increase in the remaining four months of this fiscal year.
The rate in effect on June 30, 2019 was $3.48, and the December 2018 Medical care services CPI was 2.6%. If the Department had implemented the rate increase on July 1, 2019, the rate for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 would have been $3.57, a $0.09 increase. To account for the delayed implementation of this rate increase, the Department will provide a temporary $0.27 increase for the remainder of fiscal year 2020, which will amount to $3.75 from March 1, 2020 – June 30, 2020.
The inflationary adjustment that will go into effect on July 1, 2020 will apply the December 2019 Medical care services CPI of 5.1% to the full year SFY20 rate of $3.57, resulting in a July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021 rate that is also $3.75.
We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. If you have any questions, please contact Tammy Usher.
Chapter II, Section 25, Dental Services Update
Effective November 1, 2019, dental offices may bill for services performed by anesthesiologists or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) employed by or contracting with the dental office to help reduce waiting lists of children who need dental services that can only be performed under sedation.
Please contact MaineCare Provider Relations Specialist Rebecca Maranda with questions by email at Rebecca.A.Maranda@maine.gov or by phone at (207) 624-6963.