[Webinar] PEAK Application Walk-through Webinar

When:  1:00 - 2:30PM, January 14, 2012  

"Would you like to the see the online application before you work with clients? Are you curious what the client sees when they complete an application online? Don't wonder any longer and join in this 1.5 hour session where we 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...

To join the Monday, January 14th 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#."  [Source: PEAK Outreach]

Grant Offered for Women's Heart Health

"To address the lack of awareness about women’s heart disease, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) have joined together to offer a grant program to encourage community-based organizations to develop, implement, and evaluate activities and programming that educate women about making lifestyle changes to lower their risk for heart disease and promote....The grant program seeks to fund innovative ways of delivering programs that go beyond simply increasing the number of persons educated to demonstrating and supporting sustainable behavioral change. A key goal of the grant program is to provide women of color, low income, and in rural areas key health information and community education programming designed to increase personal awareness of heart disease risk factors and lifestyle behavior change that supports heart health."  Click here to learn more about this opportunity.  [Source: COPrevent]

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

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

Apply for Essential Community Providers Designation

If you have not done so already ClinicNET encourages you to apply for the Essential Community Provider (ECP) designation through the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF).  In order to be designated as an Essential Community Provider (ECP), a provider must demonstrate that it meets the requirements of Section 25.5-5-403 C.R.S. (2006). These regulations require that the ECP:

•    Has historically served medically needy or medically indigent patients and demonstrates a commitment to serve low-income and medically indigent populations who make up a significant portion of its patient population or, in the case of a sole community provider, serves the medically indigent patients within its medical capability; and
•    Waives charges or charges for services on a sliding scale based on income and does not restrict access or services because of a client's financial limitations.

ClinicNET encourages you to apply for ECP designation sooner than later. You can access the application online.  For more information about becoming an ECP, please contact Teresa Craig. 

Submit completed applications to:
Health Care Policy and Financing
Medicaid Division, ECP Applications
1570 Grant Street
Denver, CO 80203-1818

[Webinar] Payment Reform and More Integrated Delivery

"The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) is pleased to announce “Laying the Groundwork in States for Payment Reform and More Integrated Delivery,” a webinar on January 3, 2013 from 2:00–3:15 pm ET. This webinar will examine how states can promote multi-payer delivery system and payment reforms and work with the private sector to foster more integrated delivery systems. John Colmers, Vice President of Health Care Transformation at Johns Hopkins, and formerly Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, will discuss policy levers and opportunities that are available to states.  Reactors from three states will kick off the discussion. Register now here."  [Source: NASHP]

Miss the recent COHBE Meeting?

Last Tuesday afternoon, the CO Health Benefit Exchange (COHBE) hosted a meeting with stakeholders to obtain feedback about the Navigator Program, a new initiative that will provide in-person assistance to Coloradans to use the Exchange next October.  If you missed this meeting and would like to learn how it went and review meeting notes please click here.

Additionally, ClinicNET is following the work of the COHBE so please let us know your thoughts so that we can best represent the interests of our affiliates during its development.

CDC Develops Handout to Help Adults Determine What Vaccines They May Need

"The CDC recently posted a new handout titled Do You Know Which Adult Vaccines You Might Need? It lists vaccines an adult may need, based on age, travel, occupation, medical history, and vaccines previously received.services. It includes coverage, coding, billing, and payment information..."  Click here to read more.  [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

Happy Holidays!

Your work inspires us and at the holidays, we are especially grateful for the quality care you provide to uninsured, underinsured and low income Coloradans.

It is an honor to support your clinics and lend a collective voice to your efforts.  We wish you the happiest of holidays and look forward to working with you in 2013!

2012 America's Health Rankings Released

This year's America's Health Rankings were released on Tuesday, December 11, 2012..."Where does Colorado rank? For 2012, Colorado is ranked 11th overall, up three spots from 2011. According to the America's Health Ranking website, Colorado has "[l]ower prevalences of sedentary lifestyle, obesity, & diabetes than all other states" and a "[l]ow rate of preventable hospitalizations." Health challenges faced by Colorado include a low immunization coverage (ranked 45 in this area) and high geographic disparity (ranked 44 in this area).

For more information and interesting facts about Colorado (such as the percentage of child poverty decreasing from 18.5% to 15.5% in the past year) please visit Colorado's page at the America's Health Rankings website."  [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

COHBE Invites Feedback on Navigator Program

The Colorado Health Benefits Exchange is hosting a meeting with stakeholders and advisory group members to obtain feedback about our navigator program. The meeting is on Dec. 18 from 3 – 5 pm.  Learn more.

Trainining in Diabetes Prevention Program is Available

On December 3th and 4th, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment organized a two-day Diabetes Prevention Program training for nine Colorado organizations who will offer the program in 2013...Is your organization interested in attending the next Diabetes Prevention Program training on March 4 and 5 in Denver? If so, please contact Kelly McCracken.  Click here to learn more about the efforts to roll out the Diabetes Prevention Program in Colorado.

HCPF Provider Bulletin

Click here to read the December Provider bulletin. The index includes:

All Providers .................1
ColoradoPAR Program.............1
Second Phase Update of NCCI Implementation.................3
‘Meaningful Use’ Submissions from Health Care Providers Using EHR.........3
Add-A-Baby Project..................4
CHP+ Income Eligibility Policy Changes for Pregnant Women ..........4

Protect America’s Strong Tradition of Giving to the Safety Net

As a clinic in the healthcare safety net, you are providing much needed access to health care services for medically underserved individuals, children and families in Colorado.  While ClinicNET’s affiliates are diverse in model, most are nonprofit organizations that do not receive federal funds and rely on charitable donations to support the critical work they do on a daily basis.

As the Administration and Congress take up tax reform, deficit reduction and the fiscal cliff, we want to urge them not to impose any limit or cap on the charitable deduction, including the proposed cap limiting all itemized deductions at 28 percent for certain taxpayers.   Many taxpayers who itemize take fixed cost deductions first -- such as state and local taxes and mortgage interest -- and a cap would leave them little to no room to deduct their charitable contributions.

The charitable deduction is different than other itemized deductions in that it encourages individuals to give away a portion of their income to those in need. It rewards a selfless act, and it encourages taxpayers to give more to charities than they would otherwise have given.   People give to worthwhile causes for many reasons—incentives such as tax deductions being among them. Tax incentives make more and larger gifts possible, and those incentives do have an impact on donors.

According to a 2012 report by the Center for Civil Society Studies at Johns Hopkins University, nonprofit employment represents 10.1 percent of total employment in the United States in 2010, with total employees numbering 10.7 million. Keeping charitable deductions at the current rate allows the middle class, as well as those who are more privileged, to participate in maintaining and creating jobs in safety net careers, which offer critical services to local communities and address urgent needs on a broader, national basis.

America’s economic recovery requires a strong philanthropic sector whose role as an investor in innovation and supporter of safety net services is more important than ever for a faster, sustainable economic recovery.   Now is the time to maintain incentives to support the crucial work of the nonprofit community.

Please take the time to contact Colorado's Congressional delegation. Click here to find out how to take action and for more information.

[Webinar] Legislative Forecast: Health Care Policy Trends to Anticipate in 2013

When: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM MST

"What were the key themes of the 2012 legislative session, and what can we expect in 2013? What were the top 10 pieces of recent legislation that have shaped Colorado's health policy landscape over the last 10 years? CHI's director of legislative services Megan Lane will discuss these themes and more..."  Click here to register.  [Source: Colorado Health Institute]

Coloradans Facing More Barriers to Accessing Oral Health Care

The brief, A Growing Problem: Oral Health Coverage, Access and Usage in Colorado, is based on CHAS data from the 2011 CHAS. It shows that all Coloradans are facing more barriers to accessing oral health care, compared to 2008-2009 when the survey was last done...[Source: The Colorado Trust]

Resources on Reimbursment for Integrated Care

The CO Promoting Integrated Care Sustainability (PICS) project is geared towards initiatives to increase fiscal sustainability for integrated care (primary care and behavioral health) services in Colorado.  The project has shared some resources on reimbursement for Integrated Behavioral Health and Primary Care.  Click to access informative slides on the topic and additional resources.  [Source: Advancing Care Together]

RAC Launches Rural Obesity Prevention Toolkit

"In an effort to help rural communities better address the current obesity epidemic, the Rural Assistance Center has launched a Rural Obesity Prevention toolkit. This toolkit contains resources to help communities develop obesity prevention programs, building on best practices of successful obesity prevention programs..."  Click here to read more.  [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

ACC Payment Reform Subcommittee

When: Friday, December 14, 2012 2:30 PM-4:30 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time (US & Canada).
Where: 225 E. 16th Avenue; Room 6 A/B

The meeting is a venue for RHCs, FQHCs, BHOs and RCCOs (Regional Care Collaborative Organizations) to discuss and provide input on Medicaid payment reform. RHC’s are encouraged to participate. See the call-in information below.

Call-in information:
Toll: 1-720-279-0026
Toll free: 1-877-820-7831
Passcode: 610450#  
[Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

Colorado Primary Care Office Offers Essential Safety Net Data

"The Colorado Primary Care Office (PCO) has made Community Health Assessment Data for the Safety Net available on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) website, becoming the first to offer this valuable resource for health partners...This data is suitable for all safety-net providers and can be used for Service Area Competitive grant applications, Budget Period Renewals, New Access Point applications and other grant opportunities. It also can be useful for community level planning and primary care access needs throughout Colorado..."  Click here to read more.  [Source: COPrevent]

Application Walk-through Webinar Monday, 12/10/2012

When: 12/10/2012, 1:00 - 2:30PM
 
Join in this 1.5 hour webinar 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. 

Click here to register for the upcoming webinar and enter the password: peak.   To hear the audio portion of the call, dial (712) 432-0220 and enter the code: 5642211#.  [Source: PEAK]

Effective Outreach Strategies for Enrolling Adults without Dependent Children with Incomes Up To 100% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL) in Medicaid

"As the nation prepares to offer health care coverage for new segments of the population, it is increasingly important to develop efficient and effective outreach strategies to ensure that these new population segments have the opportunity to learn about, apply for and access such coverage. In Colorado, one such population segment is Adults without Dependent Children (AwDC) with incomes below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), who will become eligible for Medicaid in 2012. Historically, AwDC with incomes below 100% FPL in Colorado have faced specific contextual challenges in accessing affordable health coverage. In order to ensure that AwDC with incomes below 100% FPL are both aware of new eligibility guidelines and benefits available to them, as well as how to enroll in and access those benefits, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (the Department), the state agency responsible for managing the program, has contracted with JSI Research and Training Institute (JSI) to conduct a series of focus groups throughout Colorado to inform potential outreach methodologies..."  Click here to read the full report.  [Source: Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing]

2013 Rocky Mountain Dental Convention

When: January 24, 25 & 26 2013

Don't delay registering for the 2013 Rocky Mountain Dental Convention. Classes and hotels are filling rapidly. Register by TODAY and you will be entered to win a free night at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Denver for stay during the RMDC!  Click here to view the program and here to learn more about the convention.  

La Voz Highlights Alcohol and Tobacco Connection

"Partners working with the Hispanic population should check out the latest marketing campaign running in La Voz, a Spanish/English publication. The campaign highlights the connection between alcohol and tobacco, outlines health concerns and suggests readers who are ready to quit smoking contact the Colorado QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT NOW..." Click here to read more.  [Source: COPrevent]

Join the Accountable Care Collaborative Program Improvement Advisory Committee!

The ACC Program Improvement Advisory Committee is made up of stakeholders that provide guidance and make recommendations to help improve client health, access, cost and satisfaction of clients and providers in the Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC). If you are interested in joining the ACC Program Improvement Advisory Committee please contact:

Kathryn Jantz, Program Performance Specialist, Medicaid Program Division
Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
Telephone:  303-866-5972; Email:  kathryn.jantz@state.co.us

More information about this committee, including meeting dates/times and the current committee member list, are available online.  Also, click here to view a presentation overview of the ACC.

New CDC Sodium Resource Available in Spanish

"CDC recently released “Controlling Hypertension by Learning to Control Sodium Intake: a Fotonovela”, part of the “Promotoras de salud contra la hipertensión” program. The fotonovela may be integrated in community health worker programs related to controlling blood pressure in Hispanic/Latino communities. The fotonovela speaks to Hispanic populations given their low control rates for hypertension, increased prevalence of high cholesterol, and eating patterns that are typically high in salt and saturated fats..."Read more online.  [Source: COPrevent]

[Webinar] Meaningfully Using Computerized Order Entry: Experience From Two Safety Net Providers.

When: Date: Fri, Dec 14, 2012 from 12:00 PM MTN - 1:00 PM MTN

Health IT and Quality webinars are technical assistance for HRSA grantees and other safety net providers. Each features experts with hands-on experience from within the safety net community, as well as speakers with various grantee experiences and federal expertise.  Click here to register.  [Source: HRSA]

HIPAA PHI De-Identification Guidance Released

De-identification of PHI has become an increasingly complex issue and requirement with the increased use of electronic health records, health information exchanges and related.

This past Tuesday, OCR released guidance regarding methods for de-identification of protected health information in accordance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule..."  Click here to read more.  [Source: CRHC]