Department of Health Care Policy and Financing November issue of At a Glance

The November At a Glance publication provides updates from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

Spread the word: Contribute to ClinicNET on Colorado Gives Day (12/4)

Please support ClinicNET on Colorado Gives Day! On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, Coloradans will come together again to raise millions of dollars for nonprofits like ours.  

ClinicNET joined the GivingFirst community in October 2012.  Our new profile offers information about what’s new at ClinicNET, our financial history, organizational statements, and testimonials from ClinicNET leadership and partners.  The best thing about this profile?  It makes supporting ClinicNET quick and simple!  This is a great way for you to help ClinicNET continue to strengthen Colorado's health care safety net.

Presented by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day asks you to give to your favorite charities through the website GivingFirst.org, an online giving resource featuring every nonprofit participating in Colorado Gives Day.  What makes this day unlike any other day?  Well, glad you asked!  On Colorado Gives Day:

•    100 percent of your donation will come to us.
•    When you give online any time on December 4, the value of your donation will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund.

ClinicNET is grateful for the support it receives from its current  funders, affiliates, and friends. Please consider making a contribution to ClinicNET at any time during the 24 hour period of December 4 to “give where you live!”

Thank you for your support.

Meaningful Use Stage 1: Everything you need to know as an Eligible Professional

When: December 6, 2012 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM

What is Meaningful Use? How does it apply to you and your organization? Is there money out there waiting for you?  Tune in to this webinar by CORHIO for free to receive responses to these questions and more.  Read more about webinar and register online.

Headlines Study: US faces shortage of 52,000 doctors by 2025

"The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has estimated that the United States will be short more than 91,000 doctors by 2020 — 45,000 in primary care and 46,000 in surgery and medical specialties — as more Americans age..."  Click here to read more.  [Source: The Hill]

Medical Home Community Forum: Update from the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing

The Colorado Medical Home Initiative invites all medical home stakeholders including you, your colleagues, families, policy makers, and organization/agency staff to attend the:

Medical Home Community Forum
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
4:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
Topic for Discussion -- Update from the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing

For this forum, the Colorado Medical Home Initiative will be hosting live meetings at multiple locations including:
1) DENVER: Contact: Maggie Dunham, Medical Home Policy Coordinator, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Tel: 303-692-2515
 2) PUEBLO:  Contact: Lynn Procell, Associate Director, Community Health Services Pueblo City County Health Department, Tel: 719-583-4368
 3) STEAMBOAT SPRINGS: Contact: Dianne Miller, Director of Clinical and Quality Services, Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association, Tel: 970-871-7609
 4) COLORADO SPRINGS:  Contact: Summer Laws, Northwest Colorado Visiting Association, Tel: 719-578-3270

Please contact Maggie Dunham (303.692.2515) at CDPHE with any questions

Where to Find ICD-10 Information

"To keep on track with planning and preparation for tasks that need to be completed by the transition deadline—October 1, 2014—take advantage of ICD-10 educational events, like online webinars and presentations in your area..."  Click here to view the online resources.  [Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services]

Administration Defines Benefits That Must Be Offered Under the Health Law

"Insurance companies are rushing to devise health benefit plans that comply with federal standards. This is in response to the "essential health benefits" which were defined on Tuesday by the Obama administration. Starting in October, people can enroll in the new plans, for coverage that begins on Jan. 1, 2014. The rules translate the broad promises of the 2010 law into detailed standards that can be enforced by state and federal officials..." Click here to read more.  [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

Next TCHF Grant Application Deadline

The Colorado Health Foundation offers three grant application deadlines each year. Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. on the deadline date.  The next deadline is February 15, 2013.  Click here to learn more about the foundation's grantmaking program.

Looking for Storytellers

Insuring our Future is a broad partnership of organizations that share a common belief in the value of Medicaid to our state’s overall healthcare system and a conviction to work to improve, strengthen, and grow its utility for Coloradans who need it most. As part of their effort, they are working to capture the stories of people served by Medicaid and CHP+. It is their goal to capture the “typical” experiences of individuals and families served by Medicaid and CHP+, including both the positive impact as well as some of the areas in need of improvement.

Insuring our Future wants the stories gathered to be authentic and balanced representations of their experiences. It is their hope that the stories will be easily identifiable by average Coloradans, so they don’t have to be about extraordinary or extenuating circumstances. The stories can be from current, past, or potential future enrollees in Medicaid and CHP+. Insuring our Future is committed to gathering a diverse range of stories including stories from young and old, rural and urban, as well as those served by the different components of Medicaid. Some of these stories may be used to educate Colorado policymakers on the value of Medicaid and CHP+.

Insuring our Future has hired a professional writer and photographer to work with individuals who want to share their story. Ideally, the writer and photographer will meet storytellers in their homes or community and spend a few hours with them to really understand and capture their experiences.

How you can participate:

1. Identify potential storytellers.
2. Refer the storyteller(s) to Aubrey Hill at Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Aubrey Hill at 720.583.1760.

Safety Net Challenges In Delivering Accountable Care

"As defined by the Affordable Care Act and subsequent rulemaking, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are accountable for the cost and quality of care for a defined group of patients. In return, ACOs are able to share in savings that may result from providing cost-effective care, and they sometimes bear risk for excessive spending as well.  While originally intended for Medicare beneficiaries, public-sector ACOs have drawn considerable attention from many states as a vehicle for potentially providing more accountable, cost-effective care to Medicaid and uninsured populations.  At least ten states have already launched or are scheduled to launch Medicaid ACO initiatives..."  Click here to the full article.  [Source:Health Affairs]

Solo-Provider Practice and Rural Clinic Make the Switch From Paper Medical Records to EHR

"Studies show that office-based medical practices are migrating to electronic health record (EHR) systems in record numbers. Practices foregoing paper medical records for EHRs are motivated by ARRA incentives and increased pressure from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)...

In 2011, with a $50,000 grant through the Colorado Rural Health Center Care Grant Program in hand, [Eastern Plains Medical Clinic was] ready to make the change from paper to EHR. “We worked with Angela Marino from Colorado Rural Health Center – she came out and did a site analysis to make sure we were prepared to go with EHR, what areas we needed to look at, how workflow was going to change and which policies and procedures we needed,” said Wilson..."  Click here to read more.  [Source: CORHIO]

Save the Date: April 3-5

The Forum is a two-day conference that will bring together participants from all over Colorado and the surrounding states. It serves as an essential educational, training, and networking event for all safety net clinics, members of the clinic team, and other interested parties...click here to learn more about the Forum and sign up to receive updates!

Updates from HCPF

Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing has released the following:

• CICP November newsletter is now available.
• Annual Report to the Joint Budget Committee on the Accountable Care Program  
• Click here to read the November Provider bulletin.

Free Emerging Tobacco Products Webinar

"The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment would like to recommend a free webinar on "Emerging Tobacco Products" held Nov. 8 and supported by Legacy and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. To receive CME/CEU credit, register by Nov. 27."  [Source: COPrevent]

Understanding Health Reform

Recently ClinicNET and the Colorado Rural Health Center enjoyed a briefing on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from representatives of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Region VIII office.  Their presentation was informative and beneficial.  They also shared that Consumer Reports has created a short guide - Health Reform: Seven Things You  Need to Know Now.

To help you access more information on health reform, please see the "On Health Reform" section of our Resources page on our website.  Scroll to the bottom of this page to browse through it.

Connect Summit 2012: Working Toward a Better Medicaid

"Connect wants to take this opportunity to re-engage with our statewide partners who are so key to this work. We'll be having a lunch summit on December 4th from 11:30am to 4pm at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden.

This will serve as an opportunity to learn from our most recent Medicaid expansion experience and what we need to do to work toward a better Medicaid in Colorado. A draft agenda can be found here.

We are providing lunch at no cost. Please consider joining us for this very important conversation as we move toward an exciting future in Medicaid."  Click here to register.  [Source: The Connect Campaign]

Colorado Safety-net Clinics Dedicated to Health Information Exchange

"HIE fits nicely into the medical home care model, helping providers track patients after they leave the clinic.

Metro Community Provider Network (MCPN) and Clinica Family Health Services are both safety-net providers in Colorado, meaning they offer services to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Most of their patient population is uninsured or covered by Medicaid. With more than 800,000 Coloradans currently lacking health plan coverage, these clinics are a vital part of our community...

The Medical Assistant (MA) staff at MCPN spend a lot of time trying to track down patient records — so they’re enthusiastic about getting records automatically through the HIE. MCPN is now talking about how they can utilize MAs for other areas of patient care, like patient education and outreach..."  Click here to read more.  [Source: CORHIO]

Children’s Hospital Colorado Seeking Applicants for Family Leadership Training Institute

Children’s Hospital Colorado is seeking applicants for the next session of the Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI) for concerned citizens who want to make positive changes in their community. FLTI is an excellent training opportunity that provides parents, caregivers and other community members with the knowledge, skills and tools for civic engagement. This is the first FLTI to be offered in Denver /Aurora.

Who should apply? Parents, teen parents, grandparents, other family members, young adults, foster parents, community members and others who wish to improve the lives of children and families in communities.

Time commitment: FLTI at Children’s Hospital Colorado will have one all-day retreat and then meet on Monday evenings, starting in January, for 20 weeks from 5-9 p.m. Dinner and complimentary childcare are provided.

Application DEADLINE: Mon., Nov. 26, 2012. Click here to apply.

Message from HCPF: Providing urgent care services and submitting claims for Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC) Program members

"This letter is to clarify that Medicaid clients enrolled in the ACC Program may receive medically necessary services from any Medicaid provider, including urgent care providers. Providers may submit fee-for-service claims for services provided to ACC Program members, who receive the same benefits package as regular Medicaid clients...Click here to read original message.  [Source: Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing]

CORHIO Collaborating With Public Health to Streamline Immunization (CIIS) Reporting

"CORHIO and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) are working towards a successful exchange of immunization data.

Once complete, this interface will allow hospitals or medical practices to upload immunization data through CORHIO’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) and it will be transmitted to the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS). CIIS is a statewide computerized system that collects and disseminates immunization information for Coloradans of all ages"...Click here to read more.  [Source: CORHIO]

Webinars: Medicaid and CHP + Policy Changes

Pending approval from the Medical Services Board, January 2013 will bring policy changes for CHP+ and Medicaid.  The Colorado Rural Health Center will have an in-depth discussion about the policy changes, and question / answer period around these topics.

• Aligning Medicaid Eligibility for Children at 133% FPL
• Increasing Medicaid Income Eligibility for Pregnant Women
• CHP+ HMO Enrollment
• Elimination of CHP+ at Work Program
• Children of State Employees to be Eligible for CHP+

Register for a webinar session now by clicking a date below:

•  Tue, Dec 4, 2012 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM MST
•  Wed, Dec 5, 2012 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM MST
•  Thu, Dec 13, 2012 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM MST

2012 Election Brief

The 2012 Election Brief from the Colorado Health Institute describes health care implications for Colorado.  Highlights include 6 Six Questions Facing Colorado such as "Will Colorado participate in the ACA’s Medicaid expansion?" and "How will uninsured Coloradans respond to the requirement to purchase health insurance?"  Click here to view the report.

FREE Kaiser Permanente Webinars

Kaiser Permanente offers a variety of webinars that you may interested in attending.  Webinars cover topics such as smoking cessation and diabetes prevention.  Webinars are free to members and non-members.  Additionally, past webinars are recorded and accessible online.  Click here to learn more about these webinar offerings.

Mary Takach writes about trends in Medicaid patient-centered medical homes

"Public and private payers are testing the patient-centered medical home model by shifting resources to enhance primary care as an important component of improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of the U.S. health care delivery system. In the November issue of Health Affairs, NASHP Program Director, Mary Takach, authored the article, About Half Of The States Are Implementing Patient-Centered Medical Homes For Their Medicaid Populations, which focuses on trends in Medicaid patient-centered medical home payment that can inform public and private payment strategies more broadly."  [Source: NASHP]

Patient Charting and Documentation in an Electronic Health Record for Nurses and Allied Health Professionals

On Nov. 1, 2012, the Women’s Wellness Connection at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released a Request for Applications to provide breast and cervical cancer screenings to eligible women throughout Colorado.

Organizations applying must be able to:

• Provide evidence based outreach/recruitment to eligible women who are 40-64 years of age, are below 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, are uninsured or under-insured, and are lawfully present in the United States.
• Provide breast and cervical cancer screening services, including clinical breast examinations, Pap tests and pelvic examinations (must be performed in-house) 
• Click here to learn about application requirements.

Click here to learn more. The application deadline is Jan. 4, 2013, at 5 p.m.

Webinar: "Patient Charting and Documentation in an Electronic Health Record for Nurses and Allied Health Professionals"

When: Friday, November 16, 2pm ET

This webinar focuses on how nurses and allied health professionals use electronic health records (EHR) for patient charting documentation. These individuals are usually the first clinicians that patients encounter to assess their healthcare needs and concerns. This assessment often includes documenting patient data into an electronic health record and chart to provide the patient’s care team with accurate information to help identify treatment options. As health centers, critical access hospitals, and rural health clinics increasingly become meaningful users of health information  technology, it is critical to train, support, and fully integrate nurses into system and clinical transformations. Webinar presenters include two nurses who will share their experiences from a health center and primary care perspective, as well as from that of a rural provider viewpoint.  Click here to sign up.  [Source: HRSA]

Webinar: Post-Election Perspectives, Possibilities and Predictions for Health Reform and Reducing Diabetes Disparities

Nov. 13, 4 - 5 p.m., Post-Election Perspectives, Possibilities and Predictions for Health Reform and Reducing Diabetes Disparities. Leading health policy experts will discuss the election results and what's next for health reform. Sponsored by the Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes.

Teleconference: Strategies to Help a Smoker who is Struggling to Quit

Nov. 14, 2 - 3 p.m. ET, Strategies to Help a Smoker who is Struggling to Quit, an Author in the Room® Teleconference presented by JAMA and IHI. Free, registration required.

All Payer Claims Database Demonstration Webinar

The Colorado All Payer Claims Database (ACPD) is Colorado's most comprehensive health claims data resource -giving patients, purchasers, providers, payers and policymakers the tools to make informed decisions that will improve the value and efficiency of our health care system.

CIVHC is holding a webinar November 15th, 12-1pm MT to recap the November 1st unveiling of the ACPD launch event, demonstrate the website, and share initial findings.  Click here to register.

Reminder: ICD 10 Online Workshops

Take advantage of this opportunity to enroll in the following online courses offered through the Colorado Rural Health Center that will prepare you and your organization for the successful transition to ICD 10.  These courses will provide you with history, structure, functions, guidelines and the terminology needed to ensure accurate and efficient billing processes. Whether you are a new coder, an advanced coder with years of experience, or a health care provider -- you will find value in this timely information.

Click here for more information, to view workshop offerings and to register.  Special ClinicNET member rates available!

Application Walk-through Webinar Tuesday, 11/13/2012 Due to Veteran's Day

Join this 1.5 hour session where the PEAK Outreach Team will walk through the PEAK screener and a portion of the application so that you can familiarize yourself with the questions being asked! These sessions will provide plenty of time to ask questions and discuss how best to utilize PEAK to assist clients. 

Application Walk-throughs occur: 1:00 - 2:30PM on the second Monday of each month.  In honor of Veteran's Day this month's Webinar is shifted to Tuesday, November 13th.

To join the webinar, click HERE and enter the password: peak. To hear the audio portion of the call, dial (712) 432-0220 and enter the code: 5642211#.

Division of Insurance Launches Consumer Education Effort

Jo Donlin,  Director of External Affairs for the Division of Insurance, speaks about the strong outreach effort underway to educate the citizens of Colorado how health care reform will affect their coverage and how the Division of Insurance can be a valuable resource for them.  She says, "I think that there’s a lot of information out there, both good and bad, about health  insurance and what consumers need to know about what’s changing and what’s not changing. Getting good information out there is one of our goals."  Click here to read the full interview with the Health Care Advocacy Program.

Celebrate National Rural Health Day November 15!

"The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) and State Offices of Rural Health have set aside November 15, 2012 as National Rural Health Day to showcase Rural America; increase awareness of the unique healthcare issues facing rural communities; and highlight the efforts of State Offices of Rural Health and others to address those issues. Click here to learn more about National Rural Health Day and access resources..."  Read more about this celebration that includes a luncheon at St. Vincent Hospital in Leadville, a coloring contest in elementary school classrooms across Colorado, and a photo contest!  [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

The Prenatal Plus Program

Does your clinic provide prenatal care to Medicaid moms?  Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing offers a Prenatal Plus Program.  This is a special program for pregnant women on Medicaid that provides case management, nutrition counseling, and psychosocial services to pregnant women who are at risk for negative maternal and infant health outcomes due to lifestyle, behavioral, and non-medical parts of a woman's life that could affect her pregnancy.  Find out about how you as a provider might benefit from participating in the Prenatal Plus Program!  Please contact Kirstin Michel at 303-866-2844.

Joining the conversation just got easier!

Colorado HealthStory collects and shares stories from around the state. Their updated website makes the stories more accessible and they've added more resources. Check it out! 

Introduction to PEAK Webinar for County and Community Partner Staff on 11/7/2012

Join the PEAK Outreach Team for a 1.5 hour Introduction to PEAK webinar where you will learn:

1.     the rationale behind why PEAK was created
2.     what functionality is available on PEAK
3.     what support materials and other resources are available to you
4.     ways you can use PEAK to assist clients

To join the Introduction to PEAK webinar on Wednesday, November 7th, 2012, please click HERE and enter the password: peak.  To hear the audio portion of the presentation, call (712) 432-0220 and enter the access code: 5642211#.