February 16, 2022
INSPIRE WELLNESS
NHP Provider Newsletter
In this issue:
  • COVID
  • Health First Colorado Coverage of At-Home Covid Tests
  • Omicron Resources
  • Colorado COVID-19 Health Care Provider Vaccine Information Toolkit
  • Statewide COVID Vaccine Information
  • Provider Resources and Information
  • Extension of Public Health Emergency
  • February is American Heart Month
  • February is School-Based Health Center (SBHC) Awareness Month! 
  • Eating Disorders Week February 28th-March 5th
  • Anti-Vaping Campaign
  • Improving Care of LGBTQ+ People of Color
  • Care Coordination and Behavioral Health Providers Fact Sheet
  • Help Increase Enrollment of Medicaid Members in WIC and SNAP
  • Behavioral Health Provider Recruitment
  • Healthy Food Staples for Adults 60+
  • POS 10 Code Addition Effective April 4, 2022
  • Upcoming Events and Webinars
COVID
HEALTH FIRST COLORADO COVERAGE OF AT-HOME COVID TESTS

Health First Colorado, the Colorado Medicaid program, will pay for at-home COVID-19 tests for members effective Jan. 15, 2022. Each enrolled Health First Colorado member can get up to 15 free at-home tests per month from pharmacies that serve Health First Colorado. There is no out of pocket cost or co-pays for Health First Colorado members. Health First Colorado will reimburse the pharmacies after members receive the free tests.
 
Health First Colorado members must get the tests from a Health First Colorado enrolled pharmacy. Health First Colorado members cannot be reimbursed for at-home tests they may have already purchased.
 
Currently, there is a shortage of at-home tests and pharmacies have the discretion to limit how many tests they will provide customers at one time - such as a parent wanting to receive a month’s worth of tests for each member of his/her family at one time. The Biden Administration has ordered 500 million tests be made available nationwide by early February.
 
The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) has created a flyer containing talking points for you to share with your call center and stakeholders. HCPF also built a web page that lists all of the enrolled DME pharmacies statewide (as the tests will be billed under DME) along with a link to a number of FAQs.
COLORADO COVID-19 HEALTH CARE PROVIDER VACCINE INFORMATION TOOLKIT

In an effort to best organize and make readily available the wide array of health care provider vaccine resources, trainings and materials related to the COVID-19 vaccination program, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has created the online Colorado COVID-19 Health Care Provider Vaccine Information Toolkit. The toolkit has a variety of robust elements. Please share!
STATEWIDE COVID-19 VACCINE INFORMATION

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides extensive resources and up to date information regarding the COVID vaccine. 
PROVIDER RESOURCES AND INFORMATION
EXTENSION OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has formally extended the Public Health Emergency (PHE). The PHE can be extended for up to 90 days at a time. This extension started Jan. 16, 2022 and likely runs through April 16, 2022. For further details, please visit the PHE Planning website.
FEBRUARY IS AMERICAN HEART MONTH

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions. In the United States, the most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD), which can lead to heart attack. February is American Heart Month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health. This year the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is shining a light on hypertension (high blood pressure), a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Please visit the CDC’s Heart Disease webpage for useful toolkits and extensive resources to share.
SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER (SBHC) AWARENESS MONTH

Join us in celebrating and appreciating the services SBHCs in Colorado provide. SBHCs provide comprehensive primary care and behavioral health services and some level of oral health care. This year, we are so glad there have been new ones open and there are more communities than ever interested in this model of care. 
 
SBHCs exist to increase access to quality health care and
keep youth healthy so that they can thrive in school. Did you know: 
 
  • SBHCs increase seat time and reduce absenteeism through less time spent traveling to/from appointments (less time parents have to take off from work) and promptly addressing the concern leading to fewer absences overall. 
  • SBHCs increase the health of everyone at school because students have quick and easy access to the care they need and are less likely spread illnesses. 
  • SBHCs increase engagement in classes because kids are healthy (physically, mentally, emotionally). 
 
Learn more about SBHCs with this infographic from the national School-Based Health Alliance. More information about Colorado’s SBHCs is available on the Colorado Association for School-Based Health’s (CASBHC) website.  
EATING DISORDERS AWARENESS WEEK FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 5, 2022

Eating disorders are serious medical illnesses marked by severe disturbances to a person’s eating behaviors. These disorders can affect a person’s physical and mental health; in some cases, they can be life-threatening. But eating disorders can be treated. National Institute of Mental Health has provided the resources below.
ANTI-VAPING CAMPAIGN

In celebration of National Children’s Dental Health month in February, DentaQuest created an anti-vaping campaign for middle school students and their parents. Here are the links to the Campaign website
SayNo2Vaping.org and the campaign’s educational resource page where you’ll find a Social Media Kit with promotional graphics and text Anti Vaping Resources. As part of the campaign, there is an anti-vaping meme creation contest where kids can enter for a chance to win up to $500. Visit SayNo2Vaping.org or check out the link below for more contest details. Deadline to enter is March 14, 2022 Instructions and Official Rules (website-files.com)
IMPROVING CARE OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE OF COLOR

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) newsletter provided this resource ,"Lessons from the Voices of [LGBTQ+] Patients" and other LGBTQ+ materials for providers including term definitions, health team best practices, and much more.
CARE COORDINATION AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS FACT SHEET

Northeast Health Partners believes that care coordination must address members’ medical, behavioral and social needs in an integrated fashion and must address the full continuum of acute, chronic, long-term services and supports, and preventive health needs. NHP care coordinators ensure members are connected to all aspects of care needed, please see the Care Coordination and Behavioral Health Providers Fact Sheet to learn more.
HELP INCREASE ENROLLMENT OF MEDICAID MEMBERS IN WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) AND SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)

Medicaid beneficiaries are:
  • At high risk of food insecurity
  • 100% eligible for WIC and likely eligible for SNAP
  • Under-enrolled in SNAP and WIC

Participation in SNAP /WIC:
  • Improves physical, mental and cognitive health.
  • Improves food and economic security
  • Lowers healthcare costs and increases medication adherence

Please utilize and share these resources to assist members in enrolling in WIC and SNAP benefits:
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDER RECRUITMENT

One of the Governor's 'Wildly Important Goals' this fiscal year is to add 950 behavioral health providers to serve Medicaid members statewide. Please share this provider recruitment letter encouraging other providers to consider enrolling as a Health First Colorado provider.
HEALTHY FOOD STAPLES FOR ADULTS 60+

The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) is excited to introduce a new monthly food box program called Everyday Eats. Everyday Eats provides healthy food staples, for free, to eligible Coloradans over age 60 who may have trouble covering their basic food needs. For more information, please read the CDHS Press Release located on their website. 

PLACE OF SERVICE (POS) 10 CODE ADDITION EFFECTIVE APRIL 4, 2022

Effective April 4, 2022, POS 10 will be added to reflect Telehealth Provided in a Patients Home. Additionally, the existing POS 02 has a description change.

POS Code / Name / Description

  • POS 02--Telehealth Provided Other than in Patient's Home--The location where health services and health related services are provided or received, through telecommunication technology. Patient is not located in their home when receiving health services or health related services through telecommunication technology.

  • POS 10--Telehealth Provided in Patient's Home--The location where health services and health related services are provided or received, through telecommunication technology. Patient is located in their home (which is a location other than a hospital or facility where the patient receives care in a private residence) when receiving health services or health related services through telecommunication technology.

Please note that Medicare has not identified a need for new POS code 10. Providers should continue to utilize the Medicare billing instructions for Telehealth claims in Pub. 100-04, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 12, Section 190.

For additional information regarding the codes, please access this document at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/R11045CP.pdf.

Here is the link to the official CMS Place of Service Publication.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND WEBINARS
RAE ROUNDTABLE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH---2nd Fri of every month at 11am

Please join the Beacon Provider Relations team for relevant behavioral health trainings, resources, and discussion every month. Click here to join the webinar.

Or By Telephone:1-669-900-6833---Webinar ID: 995 7438 8100---Passcode: 173943
Visit the NHP website for details on previous calls.
RAE ROUNDTABLE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH--BILLINGS AND CLAIMS

The Beacon Provider Relations Team will be holding a billings and claims specific behavioral health round table.

Click here to join the webinar at 1pm on Tuesday, February 22nd
Or By Telephone:1-669-900-6833--Webinar ID: 713 854 8191-- Passcode: 929633

Visit the NHP website for details on previous calls.
PCMP LEARNING COLLABORATIVE

Thursday, March 10, 2022 12 - 1pm (MST)
Please join our Practice Transformation team for an opportunity to learn from your peers! Topics will include: Improving Patient Experience through Patient and Family Advisory Counsels (PFAC) and Creating a Culture of Quality Improvement Through Staff Rewards and Recognition Programs

Contact your Transformation Coach for the call-in information for this meeting.