Roundup Newsletter – April 2021 Issue

  1. CCN Region 5 Deploys in Kodiak, Alaska
  2. HSRM Microlearning Course Now Available
  3. FBCS Closeout
  4. Check Out the Latest OCC Blogs
  5. All Hands on Deck: Copayment Cancellations and Refunds
  6. Overview of the VA IHS/THP Reimbursement Agreement Program for Community Providers
  7. Webinar: Consult Toolbox 2.0 Training Demo
  8. Finding the Right Provider – PPMS Simulated Basic User Training
  9. Expanding your Functionality in PPMS – Simulated Field User Training
  10. Managing and Maximizing your Functionality in PPMS – Simulated Admin/Super User Training
  11. Webinar: VA-DoD CarePoint Exceptions Worklist
  12. Three New Conditions Added to VA’s Agent Orange Presumptive List
  13. Support
  14. Resources

CCN Region 5 Deploys in Kodiak, Alaska

Dear VHA Colleagues,

I’m pleased to share that we’ve reached another important milestone in building a high-quality network of community providers with the Dr. Uptonrecent rollout of the Community Care Network (CCN) in Alaska, in Region 5.

We began delivering health care through CCN in Kodiak, Alaska, on April 1. This is an important first step to expanding Alaska Veterans’ access to health care services through in-network community providers, including in remote locations without a VA medical facility, such as Kodiak. We will continue full deployment of health care throughout Alaska in mid-June.

Since 2019 when CCN first became operational, more than 4.4 million referrals for care have been made throughout our network. This is due to your tremendous efforts working on the front lines throughout the deployment of CCN, despite the many impacts of COVID-19 over the past year.

Transitioning from the Patient-Centered Community Care (PC3) network to CCN has been a long, complex, and arduous process, but the benefits are worth the investment. I am extremely proud of all the work we’ve accomplished together to bring CCN to life, offering Veterans, VA staff members, and community providers a more effective system for delivering community care.

Thank you for your partnership.

Sincerely,

Mark Upton, MD

Acting Assistant Under Secretary for Health (AUSH) for Community Care


People, Process and Technology 💻 

HSRM Microlearning Courses Now Available

Check out the new microlearning courses now available on Talent Management System (TMS) to help VA staff use HealthShare Referral Manager (HSRM) more effectively. Each course is comprised of several segments, each of which should take no longer than five minutes to complete. End users can choose to review as few or as many segments as they like, allowing for a customizable and convenient learning experience. The courses include:

Resources and Support

FBCS Closeout

VA’s systems modernization effort is retiring the Fee Basis Claims System (FBCS). The FBCS closeout allows for new support systems to improve efficiency, processing times and reduce errors.

 

Veterans’ community care authorizations and provider claims services have transitioned to CCN third party administrators – Optum and TriWest, and VA’s electronic Claims Adjudication and Management System (eCAMS) and Health Share Referral Manager (HSRM) platforms.

 

This transition is VA’s latest modernization effort to improve authorized employees’ access to information, automate certain functions, and move toward web-based solutions that reduce errors and improve timeliness.

 

Authorized staff are able to access historic data hosted in FBCS until a consolidated archive is complete. FBCS is now read-only with the ability to search for historic data and images and create standardized and ad hoc reports.

 

Support

Check Out the Latest OCC Blogs

Read about improvements to health care referrals for Veterans, mobile mammogram buses for women Veterans and using the emergency care reporting portal.

All Hands on Deck: Copayments Cancellations and Refunds

The OCC Revenue Operations team continues an unprecedented effort on copayment cancellations and refunds due to the American Rescue Plan (ARP), with an all-hands-on-deck approach.

 

“Cancellation of copayments is one gigantic feat,” said Susan Reed, Executive Copayment RefundsDirector of Revenue Operations. “But to add to the process of refunding copayments of more than 1.2 million Veterans, we knew this would take innovation and the creation of systems that we frankly have never had to employ. We also knew the minute the legislation passed, communication to Veterans on how and when they could expect refunds was critical.”

 

Monthly ‘information only’ statements, which will include copayment balances for medical care and pharmacy services received prior to April 6, 2020 will resume once refunds are distributed.

 

“Not receiving monthly patient statements in the mail could be confusing to those Veterans who are diligent about keeping up with payments and those who knew they had balances,” said Ms. Reed. “We are doing everything we can to make sure they understand why copayments are being canceled and why they are receiving refunds.”

 

This copayment refund update excludes separate and exclusive information on non-health benefits debts and overpayments, which is being managed by the Debt Management Center (DMC).

 

“Our team has done a great job of tackling this extraordinary ‘ask’,” said Ms. Reed. “But we are not yet at the finish line. Our intent is to make the process seamless to Veterans, and through solid and consistent communication, we are succeeding.”

 

Resources and Support

Get Smart💡

New and updated community care training courses are now available in the updated Training Catalog on the Training Page of the Community Care Hub. Please see below for specific updates.

Overview/Core Training

Overview of the VA IHS/THP Reimbursement Agreement Program for Community Providers explains how the VA Indian Health Service (IHS)/Tribal Health Program (THP) Reimbursement Agreement Program (RAP) functions. (TMS VA 4564140)

 

Eligibility Consults and Referrals Training/VAOS

 

Webinar: Consult Toolbox 2.0 Training Demo provides an overview of features and scenarios in the Consult Toolbox 2.0 such as receiving VA consults, forwarding a consult to community care, and completing a consult. (TMS VA 4567333)

 

Finding the Right Provider–PPMS Simulated Basic User Training is a simulated review of the Provider Profile Management System (PPMS) tool and its key features and functionalities. (TMS VA 4533181)

 

Expanding Your Functionality in PPMS–Simulated Field User Training reviews the Provider Profile Management System (PPMS) tool for field users, including menu items, dashboards, provider locator tool, Veteran Care Agreements, and data elements. (TMS VA 4533180)

 

Managing and Maximizing Your Functionality in PPMS–Simulated Admin/Super User Training focuses on advanced functionality available in the Provider Profile Management System (PPMS), including using advanced finds, dashboards, validations, and mapping features. (TMS VA 4533179)

 

Webinar: VA-DoD CarePoint Exceptions Worklist highlights VA-DoD Advanced Payment overview, VA-DoD Advanced Payment purpose and why it is important, and exceptions in VA-DoD Advanced Payment. (TMS VA 4567153)


Three New Conditions Added to VA's Agent Orange Presumptive List

Bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism have been added to the presumptive condition list for Agent Orange effective January 1, Agent Orange2021.

 

Agent Orange (AO) is a Special Authority (SA) eligibility and an herbicide used in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971 to remove unwanted plant life that provided cover for enemy forces. VA has recognized the following “presumptive diseases” as associated with, but not necessarily caused by, exposure to AO:

The conditions above represent the new presumptive service-connected approved list by VBA. For VHA and medical care purposes, this list is used as guidance for the provider but is not an all-inclusive list for the Veteran to receive care under the AO program. Clinical documentation must support the Special Authority designation.

Support

Support 🛠

Community Care Hub – General resources on community care programs and processes. (Intranet)

 

Field Guidebook – Technical operational guidance for community care operations. (Intranet)

 

Public Website – Main external website for community care. (Internet)

 

Public Website for Community Providers – Main public website for community providers. (Internet)

 

YouTube Channel – Public video library on a variety of community care and revenue operations topics.

Resources ⌨️

Technical Questions

General Questions

Communications/Newsletter Questions and Feedback