 If you have any questions or feedback about the newsletter, please reach out to us at: MDHHS-SHOARS-Support@Michigan.gov.
The MDHHS Ryan White Program Guidance #14-01: Eligibility and Recertification has been updated to reduce administrative and consumer burden while enhancing continuity of care to ensure that consumers have access to medical and support services in order to achieve viral suppression. The guidance now eliminates the six-month recertification requirement and allows flexibility for sub-recipients to conduct timely eligibility confirmation in accordance with HRSA's PCN 21-02. The guidance also states affirmatively that immigration status is irrelevant for the purposes of eligibility for Ryan White Services.
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The MDHHS Bureau of HIV & STI Programs 2023 training calendar is now available! All trainings for 2023 will be virtual and registration for each training will take place through SHOARS. You can view the full calendar on our website.
As a reminder the Annual HIV and STI Conference and the Clinical Nursing Conference will now be held every other year. Please be on the lookout in early 2024 for our save the dates!
The HIV Dental Symposium will take place in person at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi on March 31, 2023. Anyone who works in the dental field is encouraged to attend. The conference registration fee is $75.00.
Registration for the 2023 HIV and Housing Summit, held on June 6, 2023, is now open! The summit brings together Ryan White and housing/homeless service providers, as well as other interested participants, to focus on housing issues for persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This event prioritizes the impact of housing on an individual’s ability to achieve and sustain positive health outcomes. Workshop topics are targeted to both housing case workers and HIV service workers, in an effort to build shared knowledge and provide opportunities for networking and relationship building. Registration for this event is free.
Eligibility redetermination packets to start being mailed to beneficiaries depending on renewal date
Medicaid beneficiaries will have to renew their coverage this year, starting in June, as Michigan resumes Medicaid eligibility redeterminations to comply with federal legislation. Michigan will soon restart Medicaid eligibility renewals and certain waived policies that were in place during the pandemic.
Renewals for traditional Medicaid and the Healthy Michigan Plan will take place monthly starting in June 2023 and run through May 2024. Monthly renewal notices will be sent three months prior to a beneficiaries’ renewal date starting with June renewal dates. Beneficiaries can check their renewal month at www.michigan.gov/MIBridges.
Here is what Michigan Medicaid beneficiaries need to do to prepare:
1. Make sure your address, phone number and email address are up to date at www.michigan.gov/MIBridges. You can also call your local MDHHS office. If you do not have an online account for MI Bridges to access your Medicaid case or report changes, visit www.michigan.gov/MIBridges to sign up for an account. You can also locate organizations that can help you by searching for community partners.
2. Report any changes to your household or income. You can report changes at www.michigan.gov/MIBridges or by calling your local MDHHS office.
3. If you get a renewal packet, be sure to fill it out, sign the forms and return it by the due date with any proof needed. NOTE: If you do not complete and return the renewal, you may lose Medicaid coverage.
To ensure beneficiaries are aware of upcoming federal redetermination requirements and help them keep their coverage if eligible, MDHHS is launching a multi-media advertising campaign. This will include radio, audio streaming, outdoor, mobile and social media ads, including minority media outlets and stakeholder communications.
MDHHS has also created a Stakeholder Toolkit that can be used by organizations to assist individuals with Medicaid coverage understand the upcoming changes. The toolkit contains a variety of approved materials for organizations to use and distribute.
More information about the how benefits connected to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency are changing can be found at www.Michigan.gov/2023BenefitChanges.
 On January 19, 2023 the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced it had detected a novel strain of gonorrhea in a Massachusetts resident that showed reduced response to multiple antibiotics. While these infections were able to be treated with currently available medications, the race to stay ahead of gonorrhea’s ability to build resistance continues. Our best defense is a strong offense. It is imperative that every case of gonorrhea is treated according to CDC’s current Treatment Guidelines, and partners should be actively linked to testing and treatment. When this is not possible, or unlikely, Expedited Partner Therapy can be extended to treat partners and reduce reinfection.
The newly created Return to Care Unit is responsible for overseeing the implementation of comprehensive strategies for linkage to and re-engagement in care activities to align with Data to Care, based on CDC Guidance. Program objectives include public health strategies that utilize HIV surveillance data, clinic appointment data, and other treatment and care data sources to identify persons with HIV who are not in care, link those not in care to appropriate medical and social services, and ultimately support the HIV Care Continuum.
The Return to Care Unit will be introducing Data to Care Rx, which is a strategy that involves utilizing real-time prescription claims data which also supports the HIV Care Continuum. The Return to Care Unit will also be responsible for working with previous positive individuals who have recently moved into the state of Michigan to ensure linkage and or reengagement into care and other coordinated services and resources.
 The Michigan Dental Program provides comprehensive dental insurance through Delta Dental to eligible Ryan White Clients. With this program, clients have access to oral health treatment at minimum to no cost. Dental services can include both preventive and restorative care, including but not limited to exams, cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatment, fillings, extractions, root canals, etc. Additionally, the Michigan Dental Program works to educate dental providers on the unique experiences of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in effort to decrease stigma and eliminate barriers to access services.
The Michigan Dental Program will host a Dental Symposium for dental providers from across the state on March 31, 2023.
Resource: Michigan Dental Program- Oral Health Tips Flyer
State and local governments in Michigan have received the initial payments of nearly $800 million the state will receive over 18 years as part of the $26 billion nationwide settlement with the three largest pharmaceutical distributors, as well as opioid manufacturer, Johnson and Johnson.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has been authorized to spend $39.2 million of the initial settlement payment to the state. MDHHS will use the funding to continue to support evidence-based programming, including for treatment providers, recovery supports, harm-reduction strategies, prevention programming and other organizations that support individuals with substance use disorders.
As part of the plan, MDHHS will use the opioids settlement dollars to expand capacity for treatment. This includes reviewing barriers that can’t be addressed with federal funding, such as provider workforce capacity and expansion of treatment facility infrastructure.
Harm Reduction areas include: Invest in resources that reduce harm associated with substance use, such as overdose and infectious disease. Continue to fund the MDHHS Naloxone portal, which supplies an overdose reversal medication to community organizations, as well as syringe service programs, which provide access to supplies including, but not limited to, fentanyl test strips, naloxone and sterile syringes.
Additional information regarding proposed programming efforts is provided in the Opioids Settlement: FY2023 Spend Plan. MDHHS will share more detailed information as funding is allocated to programs in the near future.
You are receiving this message as a valued partner of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of HIV and STI Programs.
If you believe you received this message in error, please reach out to MDHHS-SHOARS-Support@Michigan.gov.
Michigan.gov/HIVSTI
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