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In this issue...
OCC Becomes VHA Office of Integrated Care (IVC)
Providers are Critical to Precertification
High Performing Providers Stand Out in CCN
Preventing Suicide Through Lethal Means Safety & Safety Planning
Education & Training
Blogs & Podcasts
 IVC will simplify the process for Veterans to get care in both VA and community facilities
As part of our efforts to streamline and integrate VHA operations, the VHA Office of Community Care (OCC) is combining with the Office of Veteran Access to Care (OVAC) to become the new VHA Office of Integrated Veteran Care (IVC).
IVC will manage Veterans’ access to care through both VA and community facilities. The goal of this transition is to simplify the process for Veterans and beneficiaries to access care and improve their experience.
Along with better resource utilization and internal coordination, IVC will strengthen Veteran’s access to timely, high-quality care.
Community providers are not affected by this change, beyond seeing "IVC" in place of "OCC" on correspondence.
Can precertification delay patient care? No, but it can assist in offsetting a Veteran’s copayment responsibility
Did you know that participating in the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) precertification process can help offset a Veteran's copayment responsibility and redirect funds to support programs and services for Veterans?
By providing timely notification of scheduled care requiring precertification and submitting the right medical documentation quickly, providers can help VA recoup costs from Third Party Payers (TPPs) quicker, avoid direct Veteran billing and repurpose funds to support Veteran services.
VA bills TPPs for non-service-connected/special authority care, including community care services. As with other service providers, VA must comply with precertification requirements to collect TPP reimbursement. Reimbursements collected by VA go directly to providing health care services to Veterans and offsetting their out-of-pocket expenses.
Later this year, VA will offer a precertification webinar for providers to learn more about the precertification process and its benefits. Stay tuned!
For information and instructions on precertification, visit the Provider precertification webpage, a recent blog or contact the Revenue Operations Nurse Executive Team.
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More than 25% of VA’s community providers are designated as High Performing Providers (HPP)
VA's High-Performing Provider (HPP) designation was developed in cooperation with its Third Party Administrators (TPAs) to assist Veterans in making informed choices when it comes to their health care needs.
Finding an HPP is simple. VA developed a search function in the HealthShare Referral Manager (HSRM), so users can see HPP designated providers. This function allows schedulers to hover over a community provider’s name to see if he or she is an HPP and can mention that designation to the Veteran as they schedule community care appointments.
To be designated as an HPP, community providers are evaluated by their TPA using nationally recognized quality and cost-efficiency measures such as Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) and the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS).
VA HPP designation highlights providers who are committed to ensuring Veterans receive
high-quality, timely care. Community providers interested in becoming an HPP can contact their regional TPA: Optum Manual, page 26 (Region 1,2 and 3) or CQHPP@TriWest.com (Region 4 and 5).
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Preventing suicide among all Veterans — including those not enrolled in the VA health care system — is a top priority
Suicide is complex — there is no single, identifiable cause. Many factors increase or decrease the risk for suicide or suicide ideation, according to researchers. Research has also identified warning signs to help in recognizing someone at risk for suicide. As a community provider, you can gain key data and the latest research updates on Veteran Suicide by registering in VHA TRAIN for the Preventing Suicide Through Lethal Means Safety and Safety Planning self-paced, web-based training.
Community providers who interact with Veterans such as physicians, physician assistants, nurses, social workers, licensed professional counselors, chemical dependency counselors, psychologists and mental health providers can benefit from this recorded, knowledge-based webinar and earn one CEU for the hour-long training.
Participants will learn about the purpose of Lethal Means Safety and Safety Planning for Suicide Prevention, including how to work with Veterans and family.
Thank you for participating in VA’s Opioid and Lethal Means training to help decrease suicide among our Veteran population.
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This one hour course builds a collaborative effort between VA and community providers to promote evidence-based management of Veterans with chronic pain to improve patient outcomes and decrease the incidence of complications when prescribing opioids.
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Community providers can use the eCAMS Provider Portal (ePP) to file VA claims.
To check claim status, access remittance reports and obtain Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) and Explanation of Payment (EOP) information, take this webinar and learn how to access and navigate the portal.
Register for the webinar at VHA TRAIN.
If you do not have an account create one.
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Improve outcomes for women Veterans by learning their unique health care needs and by using trauma-informed care approaches taught in this webinar.
Credit: AACME, AAPA, AACME-NP, ANCC, APA, ASWB, JA IPCE, NYSED-P. You must take the end-of-course evaluation for credit.
Register for the webinar at VHA TRAIN.
If you do not have an account create one.
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This recorded, one hour training is on transgender psychotherapy for gender dysphoria, which is a mismatch between biological sex and gender identity.
Register for the webinar at VHA TRAIN.
If you don't have an account, create one.
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This webinar focuses on the increasing prevalence of respiratory symptoms as well as upper/lower airway diseases of Veterans deployed to Southwest Asia and Afghanistan.
Register for the webinar through VHA TRAIN.
If you don't have an account, create one.
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Webinar:
HSRM Weekly Training Monday, 2:00-4:00 p.m. and Tuesday,
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET
ID:1082953
This course provides an overview of HSRM and an in-depth walkthrough of the system.
Additional time is allotted for questions and demonstrations.
Register at VHA TRAIN.
If you do not have an account, create one.
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Preston Igwe M.D. discusses diversity in medicine, care of Veterans
In a viral tweet from January 2022, Dr. Preston Igwe, born in Nigeria, shared that he was the first Black physician that his patient, a Black Veteran, had seen in his 50 years coming to VA for medical care. As a doctor, you never know what kind of impact you may have on a patient, as Dr. Igwe learned during a rotation at VA.
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Questions about provider processes, email ProviderExperience@va.gov
Questions about this newsletter, email VHAIVCStrategicCommunications@va.gov
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