April Foundations

Washington State Health Care Authority sent this bulletin at 04/06/2022 01:00 PM PDT

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In this issue

Legislative Session Wrap-up and Impacts
FCS TAP Launches May 2
Medicaid Academy webinar series

April Trainings

Medicaid Academy webinar series

The Supportive Housing Medicaid Academy experience prepares community based providers to enroll your agency in your state’s Medicaid program and to bill for covered services in order to maximize billing and draw sustainable funding for services.

Tuesday, April 19 - Tuesday, May 24
9:30 a.m.

Supported Employment monthly topical webinar

Using social media to find employment

Thursday, April 14
9 -10 a.m.

Register

Supportive Housing learning community call:

Choice of Housing is Key

Understand the housing options for Permanent Supportive Housing participants.

Thursday, April 28
8:30 - 10 a.m.

Register

The Golden Thread of Documentation for FCS webinar series

Join us for a six-session training that provides a comprehensive overview of FCS documentation.

Webinars will take place on six consecutive Thursdays, Thursday, May 5- June 9
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Register for all six events

Legislative Session Wrap-up and Impacts

The 67^th Legislative session offered some exciting developments for the FCS program, as well as overall investments in Behavioral Health, Supported Employment, and Permanent Supportive Housing. Some initiatives will be implemented this July, others in January 2023.

Governor Inslee’s 2023 budget included a Glidepath - or bridge period - for those receiving FCS Supported Employment services and income supports such as Housing and Essential Needs (HEN), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and others. Currently, over one third of FCS enrollees are eligible for the HEN Referral program that provides access to essential needs items and potential rental assistance for qualifying individuals who are unable to work for at least 90 days due to a physical and/or mental incapacity. Removing existing disincentives from HEN eligibility due to income barriers and work requirements allows someone to receive housing supports through HEN while receiving FCS Supported Employment services that help find and maintain competitive employment.

HCAs FCS team will begin collaborating with DSHS and the Dept. of Commerce to begin implementation of the Glidepath bridge period in July 2022.

Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1866 sponsored by the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness (House Bill Report) establishes the Apple Health & Homes Program to provide a Permanent Supportive Housing benefit to persons receiving FCS Supportive Housing services and meeting eligibility criteria related to medical risk factors and barriers to finding stable housing.

Beginning January 2023, the authorization for FCS Supportive Housing services will increase from 6 to 12 months to align with the Apple Health & Homes Permanent Supportive Housing benefit. Like current FCS authorizations, this can be extended according to client choice and eligibility.

FCS TAP Launches May 2

Short-term, flexible funding assistance makes housing more affordable while encouraging individualized solutions to housing instability. In the coming weeks, the Foundational Community Supports Transition Assistance Program – or FCS TAP – will launch as a flexible funding resource in support of FCS Supportive Housing services. By offering timely, short-term flexible funding assistance to enrollees experiencing behavioral treatment needs, FCS TAP aims to bolster each step an FCS Supportive Housing enrollee takes to achieve their personalized housing goals.

We are excited to launch the program, and we look forward to sharing more details about FCS TAP during the following information sessions:

Medicaid Academy webinar series

This Medicaid Academy is geared towards participants who are executive leads, fiscal/finance leads, programmatic leads, and quality improvement leads within their agencies. Members of all agencies are welcome to attend. Information presented will primarily benefit support agencies who are not yet setup as Medicaid billers, who have been having issues with billing to Medicaid and those who are interested in becoming Medicaid billers.

There are six weekly two-hour sessions beginning Tuesday, April 19 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

About the Health Care Authority (HCA)

The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) is committed to whole-person care, integrating physical health and behavioral health services for better results and healthier residents.

HCA purchases health care for more than 2.5 million Washington residents through Apple Health (Medicaid), the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program, the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) Program, and the COFA Islander Health Care Program. As the largest health care purchaser in the state, we lead the effort to transform health care, helping ensure Washington residents have access to better health and better care at a lower cost.

Please do not reply directly to this message. For more information, visit the HCA website, where you'll also find contact information.

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Nondiscrimination

The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) complies with all applicable federal and Washington state civil rights laws and is committed to providing equal access to our services. Visit HCA’s website to view complete nondiscrimination statements.