During a live broadcast of a Community Town Hall  for Veterans on Jan. 17, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie spoke on the state of VA, community resources for Veterans, department priorities, and addressed questions from the last community town hall.  The town hall included a discussion on community care.

    The Secretary was joined at the town hall by a panel of VA leaders, including:

• Dr. Richard Stone – Veterans Health Administration 
• Dr. Paul Lawrence – Veterans Benefits Administration
• Randy Reeves – National Cemetery Administration
• Cheryl Mason – Board of Veterans Appeals
• Dr. Lynda Davis – Veterans Experience Office
• Dr. Kameron Matthews – Community Care
• Dr. Keita Franklin – Suicide Prevention 

   Watch the video.

HNFS Stopped Accepting Medical Documentation Jan. 1, 2019

Health Net Federal Services (HNFS) stopped accepting faxed medical records effective January 1, 2019.  Their medical documentation fax line has been deactivated. Going forward community providers must send medical records to the referring VA Medical Center (VAMC).   For more information visit the HNFS website or call the  HNFS Provider Customer Service Line at  844-728-1914.  The line will be open until June 30, 2020.

February 21, 2019:  VHA Office of Community Care Overview -  This webinar provides an overview of Community Care programs and policies, focuses on how to file clean claims, and covers other topics such as eligibility, referral, top rejection reasons and other provider issues.  Register for the webinar.

January 31, 2019:  VA Telemental Health Innovations 2019:  Enhancing Veteran Access to Care:  At the conclusion of this webinar attendees will be able to:

• Define what VA’s “Anywhere to Anywhere” Regulations are and how they promote increased access to mental health care for Veterans
• Describe 1-2 potential benefits of having providers trained and capable of delivering VA Video Connect (VVC/Telemental healthcare into Veterans’ homes)
• Identify the purpose and role of the Telemental Health Hubs within the overall VA mental health care system
• Describe a VA Telemental health innovation that promotes partnership with the community 

VA Staff register in TMS (ID 37399) and community providers register in VHA TRAIN (ID 1082255).

February 28, 2019:  Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Assessment Treatment:  At the conclusion of this webinar attendees will be able to:

• Identify the four symptom clusters of PTSD
• Summarize the key points of the 2017 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for PTSD
• Identify at least three evidence-based treatments for PTSD
• Identify at least three National Centers for PTSD resources and educational products 

VA Staff register in TMS (ID 37421) and community providers register in VHA TRAIN , (ID 1082571).

VA is implementing a new community care claims processing software solution called Electronic Claims Adjudication Management System (eCAMS). The system modernizes the processing of claims received from community providers outside of VA’s Community Care Network (CCN).

eCAMS streamlines claims processing while improving efficiency and standardization.  The system leverages auto-adjudication functionality and is reliant on valid data inputs to realize full automation capabilities.  With eCAMS, community care providers outside of the CCN will continue to submit claims much like they do today.

eCAMS is expected to be implemented nationwide between February and October 2019.

Requirements

With eCAMS, community providers must:

• Acquire a National Provider Identification (NPI) number and include that number on all claim submissions. Individuals or organizations can apply for NPIs through the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov.
• Include a complete 9-digit Social Security Number for the Veteran on all claim submissions.
• Include the referral/authorization number on all electronic and paper claim submissions that are pre-approved. For paper claims, include this information in field 23 on a HCFA 1500 or field 63 on a UB-04. For EDI 837, Referral Number is Loop = 2300, Segment = REF*9F, Position = REF02 or Prior Authorization, Loop = 2300, Segment = REF*G1, Position = REF02.
• Submit claims in accordance with National Uniform Billing Committee (NUBC) and National Uniform Claims Committee requirements (NUCC).

In addition, community providers are encouraged to:

• Submit HIPAA-compliant 837 EDI health care claims through VA’s clearinghouse, Change Healthcare.
• If you are interested in submitting claims through Change Healthcare, or if you need to change or cancel your enrollment, please contact Change Healthcare directly or visit their website.
• https://www.changehealthcare.com/
• Phone: 888-545-6127
• If you are not connected to Change Healthcare, contact your EDI clearinghouse and have our payer IDs added to their software system.
• ‘12115’ for medical claims/ERA
• ‘12116’ for dental claims/ERA
• ‘VAFEE’ for an eligibility inquiry transaction (270/271)

Support

 For more information on community care claims processing, visit the following website: https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/providers/index.asp or email us at  VHA10D1D1providerfeedback@va.gov.

The PTSD Consultation Program at VA's National Center for PTSD is providing FREE TRAINING AND CONSULTATION IN PROLONGED EXPOSURE THERAPY FOR PTSD in northern New England.  Weekly follow-up phone consultation will also be available at no charge to eligible providers.  Materials and continuing education credits will be provided. 

WHEN:  February 7-9, 2019

WHERE:  White River Junction, Vermont

WHO:  Licensed mental health providers who regularly treat Veterans can apply

 Prolonged Exposure therapy is one of the most studied and most effective treatments for PTSD and is one of the most highly recommended therapies in the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for PTSD.  Learn more by reviewing the attached Facts about Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy.  We are eager to help make this evidence-based treatment for PTSD more available to Veterans who seek care outside of a VA facility. 

ASK A QUESTION or REQUEST APPLICATION INFORMATION:  PTSDconsult@va.gov or 866-948-7880.

PLEASE NOTE that the services of the PTSD Consultation Program are always available to any provider treating veterans, regardless of participation in these trainings. Learn more at www.ptsd.va.gov/consult.    

The Center Director, Dr. Sonya Norman (Sonya.Norman@va.gov)  is available to help answer your questions about this training.  We look forward to hearing from you.