In accordance with updated guidance and funding from CMS, effective March 15, 2021, the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) is reimbursing physicians, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, pharmacies and other Medicaid enrolled, qualified immunizers $41.18 to administer each dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.  

All COVID-19 vaccine claims will be reimbursed at $41.18 for each dose for enrolled and qualified providers for administration of COVID-19 vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under their Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) authority. Pharmacists enrolled with Health First Colorado may submit claims for reimbursement of the administration of COVID-19 vaccines to Health First Colorado members. Providers will receive vaccine products from the federal government at no cost. Only the administration fee associated with the vaccines may be reimbursed to providers. These updated rates can be found on the Department’s Provider Rates and Fees website under the “Immunization Rate Schedule” section. Additional information for providers can be found on the Department’s COVID-19 webpage. In order to offer the vaccine to your patients, you’ll first need to enroll in the State’s vaccine program.  

On April 2, 2021, Colorado moved into Phase 2 of vaccine distribution, opening vaccine eligibility to the general public. Your patients trust information coming from you, even those who are hesitant to get vaccinated. Find more information on how to answer patients’ questions at covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine-faq. 

The Department needs your help ensuring your Health First Colorado patients and CHP+ patients who are 16 and older get vaccinated. Do your part by letting them know when you have the vaccine available for them, or where they can get it if you don’t offer it. Let them know that the cost is entirely covered; they won’t be charged co-pays or for the office visit. Reassure them that it’s safe to come to your office and that there is transportation available if they need it. 

If a member requires additional support to get the vaccine, please contact the assigned Regional Accountability Entity (RAE) or Managed Care Organization (MCO). Please also encourage your staff to get their vaccines, and refer them to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment for information on vaccine safety. You can get more information on which phase your staff should be vaccinated in and where at covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine.  

Together We Protect – Colorado’s COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Fund will support Colorado community-based organizations, working in partnership with state-contracted vaccine providers, to provide culturally relevant outreach, education, and support to ensure communities who face systemic barriers have access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 will be awarded to applicants from across Colorado. Get more information here.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced that the vaccine data dashboard includes county-level vaccine administration data in beta. The goal of the expanded data dashboard is part of the state's commitment to prioritize data transparency throughout the COVID-19 response, to inform an equitable vaccine distribution process, and ensure accountability. Continue to stay up to date by visiting the Colorado COVID-19 website. 

For additional information about this opportunity, see NHP Community Investment Grant Overview. To complete an online application, click here. Applications are due on May 14^th, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. MST. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions via email to communityinvestmentgrant@nhpllc.org.

Do you plan to continue to provide telehealth services when the Public Health Emergency ends? If you answered YES to these questions and you would prefer our provider directory to show members that you provide telehealth services, please complete the Beacon Telehealth Provider Attestation. Email the completed form to CoProviderRelations@beaconhealthoptions.com.

Please see the links below for the new April 1, 2021 revision of the Behavioral Health Uniform Services and Coding Standards Manual.

If you are accepting new referrals, please take a moment to make sure your contact information is updated in CAQH and Provider Connect. If you are NOT accepting new clients at this time, please be sure to update this status in Provider Connect or by sending an email to coproviderrelations@beaconhealthoptions.com.

Providers are reminded that members do not need to present their Health First Colorado ID cards to receive services. The Health First Colorado Member Handbook states that members only need their date of birth and either their Social Security number or Health First Colorado ID Number (Medicaid ID). Providers should check eligibility via the Provider Web Portal, Integrated Voice Response (IVR) System or batch.

It is important that all health care providers know that Health First Colorado members cannot be billed for services covered by Health First Colorado. Please visit this policy statement for more detailed information.

Connect for Health Colorado has opened an Uninsured Enrollment Period to help as many people as possible protect their health and safety during this time. Coloradans who are currently uninsured and don’t qualify for Health First Colorado can sign up for a health insurance plan through May 15, 2021.

Community partners can easily find social media graphics/copy, newsletter copy and virtual brochures in the new toolkit.

America continues to struggle with a public health crisis that remains overshadowed: Overdose deaths increased last year in all but three states, a fact obscured by the COVID-19 pandemic. In our new blog series, we share insights from public health experts and harm reduction advocates about the overdose increase occurring across the country. Read part one and part two, and part three of this blog series.

As the use of telehealth visits and other forms of virtual care skyrocketed during the pandemic, no longer is virtual care viewed as an episodic, one-time-only transaction for urgent care. Instead, it has evolved into a vehicle that supports the broader goals of longitudinal care. But virtual access and digital touchpoints alone won’t provide the value patients seek. 

RAE ROUNDTABLE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH---2nd Fri of every month at 11am

Please click here to join the webinar:

Visit the NHP website for details on previous calls.

SUD EXPANDED BENEFIT PROVIDER FORUM--3rd Tues of every month at 10am

Please click here to join the webinar:

Visit the NHP website for details on previous calls.

NHP RAE ROUNDTABLE PRIMARY CARE MEDICAL PROVIDER--3rd Wed of every month at 12pm

Please click here to join the webinar:

Or By Telephone: 1- 669-900-6833---Webinar ID: 971 5387 1547---Passcode: 869908

Visit the NHP website for details on previous calls.

CoPPCAP, the Colorado Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation & Access Program, is offering this free, eight-session ECHO series to give participants the baseline knowledge and skills needed to assess and treat pediatric mental/behavioral health conditions in primary care.

What is Intersectionality Theory? The term was originally coined in 1989 by Professor Kimberle Crenshaw. “It is the theory that the overlap of various social identities, as race, gender, sexuality, and class, contributes to the specific type of systematic oppression and discrimination experienced by an individual.” Andy Arias will talk about this life experiences and offer the audience an opportunity to engage in a Q & A about how intersectionality effects marginalized communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a broad and swift shift to telehealth for many behavioral health providers. As we settle into a new normal that is likely to sustain expanded use of telehealth, it is critical to assess the impact and lessons learned over the past year and use them to inform future service delivery that promotes quality, improved patient access to services and outcomes. This session will explore the experiences and implications of telehealth practice and policy during COVID-19 and beyond from provider, payer and state perspectives.

Treating veterans with mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) requires an understanding of military culture and the ways mTBI sustained by service members in a military setting are unique. Tina Fanello, MA, LCSW, CBIS and Catharine H. Johnston-Brooks, PhD, ABPP-CN from the Marcus Institute for Brain Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus will provide training on how to best serve members of the Veteran population with mTBI.

This course will challenge providers to examine their personal and professional frameworks as they relate to: Gender; sexuality; and the intersections of race, religion, and power, while enhancing their knowledge, skills, and cultural competence when working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) youth, adults, couples, and family systems. Please visit the program web page to learn more and register for the training.