APRIL 4, 2020 - AHCA expands the provider types eligible to render LTC services.
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Florida Medicaid Health Care Alert
April 4, 2020
Provider Type(s): All
Long-Term Care Provider Network Flexibilities During the State of Emergency Related to COVID-19
To provide greater workforce flexibility to Florida long-term care providers on the frontlines and provide continuation of services to LTC enrollees during the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) state of emergency, the Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) is expanding the provider types eligible to render LTC services. The following service providers are temporarily eligible to render additional LTC services (as specified below and as authorized by the enrollee’s health plan) in the enrollee’s home during the state of emergency:
- Adult Day Care Centers: medication administration, medication management, adult companion, attendant care, intermittent and skilled nursing, home delivered meals, and personal care services
- Independent Registered Nurses: homemaker, adult companion, intermittent and skilled nursing, and personal care services
- Independent Licensed Practical Nurses: homemaker, adult companion, intermittent and skilled nursing, and personal care services
- Community Care for the Elderly Providers: transportation, attendant care, intermittent and skilled nursing, and medical equipment and supply services
- Nurse Registries: intermittent and skilled nursing, behavior management services
- Older Americans Act Providers: adult companion and personal care services
- Health Care Service Pools: attendant care, intermittent and skilled nursing, personal care, and respite services
- Centers for Independent Living: intermittent and skilled nursing services
Providers must be authorized by the health plan to render these additional services. Medicaid health plans must also ensure that providers are utilizing appropriately licensed staff to perform services within the individual’s scope of practice (e.g., a home health aide cannot be substituted to perform a skilled nursing task). These flexibilities are being put in place to help ensure enrollees can continue to receive care amidst circumstances that may be beyond the primary provider’s control (location closures, workforce shortages, etc.). If provider or service substitutions become necessary, the enrollee’s LTC case manager will work with the enrollee and the provider to make adjustments to the care plan.
Additional Information for Adult Day Care Service Providers
The Agency is aware of adult day care services closures due to local and state responses to the public health emergency. During such closures, Medicaid LTC health plans must ensure continuity of care to their LTC enrollees. Medicaid LTC health plans were instructed to contact their enrollees to discuss transitioning services and updating their plans of care. As part of that discussion, Medicaid LTC health plans will also determine whether the enrollee’s adult day care center can participate in any capacity with the enrollee’s care.
Adult day care centers interested in continuing to provide services in the enrollee’s home should contact the enrollee’s case manager. If the case manager is unable to be reached, they may contact the health plan directly at:
Plan Name
Member Toll-Free Number
TTD Number
Aetna Better Health
1-844-645-7371
711
Florida Community Care
1-833-FCC-PLAN
711
Humana Medical Plan
1-888-998-7732
711
Molina Healthcare
1-866-472-4585
711
Simply Healthcare
1-844-406-2396
711
Staywell
1-866-334-7927
711
Sunshine Health
1-866-796-0530
1-800-955-8770
UnitedHealthcare
1-888-716-8787
711
Providers or enrollees can contact the Agency for Health Care Administration’s Medicaid Helpline at 1-877-254-1055 (TDD 1-866-467-4970).
Additional Information:
The Agency for Health Care Administration is committed to its mission of providing "Better Health Care for All Floridians." The Agency administers Florida’s Medicaid program, licenses and regulates more than 48,000 health care facilities and 47 health maintenance organizations, and publishes health care data and statistics at
www.FloridaHealthFinder.gov
. Additional information about Agency initiatives is available via
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