Register today for the 2013 Colorado Health Symposium

When: Aug. 7-9, 2013
Where: Keystone Resort & Conference Center, Keystone, Colorado

"Emphasizing innovation and real-world solutions, the [Colorado Health Foundation's] Colorado Health Symposium draws national thought leaders to discuss fresh perspectives and new ideas in health and health care. Set in beautiful Keystone, Colo., this annual event always provokes lively and engaging discussions on framing a healthier future.

The theme for the 2013 Colorado Health Symposium is "Health Forward: Harnessing the Energy of Change." Health and health care are undergoing a profound and unprecedented transformation, ignited by legislation, consumer demand and market forces. Guests at the Symposium will explore the nature of this transformation -- clearing pathways to health excellence now and into the future..."  Click here to register.  [Source: The Colorado Health Foundation]

ACA's Opportunities for Improving Care Quality & Efficiency: Part Three

HIMSS has developed a FREE three part series exploring how the healthcare reform bill will transform mandates into real world patient care. Each session builds on the content from past sessions, which are available on demand.  Details on the third and final session can be found below.

When: Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 10:00am-12:45pm Central Time
Agenda includes:

• Administrative Simplification and Operating Rules: An Update.  10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Central Time
• Gaining ROI By Implementing Federal Operating Rules.   11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Central Time
• Consumer Access to Data and the State Insurance Exchanges: An Update.  12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. Central Time

Link:  ACA’s Opportunities for Improving Care Quality & Efficiency: A Three-Part Series

[Source: National Rural Health Resource Center]

New funding opportunity to help increase awareness and understanding about health equity.

The Colorado Trust announced a new funding opportunity to help increase awareness and understanding about health equity.  Click here to learn about the four events within the Health Equity Learning Series.  "In addition to The Trust hosting these distinguished speakers over luncheon events at our office in Denver, [the Colorado Trust] would like to partner with others across the state to host simultaneous events in their communities with live-stream viewing of the events, also over lunch, followed by discussion and networking.

Through an abbreviated Request for Applications process, we would like to encourage nonprofit organizations and groups to apply to host all four events, with Colorado Trust grants supporting associated costs such as facility rentals, audio/visual technical supports, event marketing, food and the like. Please note that applications are due to The Colorado Trust by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2013.  

For more information about this Request for Applications, please contact Chris Armijo, Program Officer, The Colorado Trust."  [Source: The Colorado Trust]

Access to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement offerings

Through a generous grant from Kaiser Permanente's Community Benefit Program, ClinicNET is pleased to be able to once again offer access to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) offerings. This program, offers ClinicNET affiliates access to conference registration scholarships and travel support funding to participate in IHI activities.  This includes access to the IHI Open School.

The IHI Open School is an inter-professional on-line community for students, faculty, and professionals from all health disciplines that strives to advance and build skill in patient safety and quality improvement through education.  Click the following hyperlink text to view a flyer about the IHI Open School and course summaries.

Upcoming IHI conferences for which you may receive assistance to attend as a ClinicNET affiliate include:

• Transforming Primary Care Practice: June 18-20, 2013, Denver, CO
• 25th Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care: December 8-11, Orlando, FL

Interested ClinicNET affiliates should contact Program Manager Brooke Powers at brooke.powers@clinicnet.org

States Prepare for the Newly Insured: A Conversation about Mental Health and Substance Abuse Needs

Date: Mon, May 13, 2013
Time: 12:00 PM EDT; Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Of the 22 million uninsured expected to gain coverage under the Affordable Care Act in 2014, more than 4 million projected to take-up coverage will have mental health or substance use disorders. On this webinar, after a brief overview of new data made available by SAMHSA, state and local officials and other experts will talk about how states are preparing to ensure service access for these individuals newly covered through Medicaid and Health Insurance Exchanges...Click here to register.  [Source: Stafe Reforum]

Getting Ready for Expanded Coverage: State Efforts to Understand Health Care Workforce Needs

"Colorado: Since 2004, the Colorado Health Institute has analyzed data on the state’s health care workforce collected by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. This data collection has expanded from physician-specific data to include dentists, registered nurses, social workers, psychologists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Last spring, drawing on this information, the Institute reported on access to care and health care workforce issues in Colorado. In December, they released a report on how the distribution of the Colorado workforce affects the health care safety net and access to care."  Read more.  [Source: State Refor(u)m]

FTCA Information and Webinar

"As a part of continued efforts to streamline and automate the application process, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has developed a Free Clinic FTCA application process within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Electronic Handbooks (EHB).  To prepare Free Clinics for the transition to EHB and to familiarize them with the EHB Free Clinic Application Module, HRSA has arranged for webinar EHB trainings...The webinar is scheduled for May 1, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. (EST). Please reserve this date and time on your calendar. The webinar will include information about:

•      HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHB) system
•     Creating user accounts to access the EHB system
•     Navigating through EHB
•     Completing the Free Clinic FTCA Deeming/Supplemental Application

Free Clinic Webinar link; Conference Line: 888-323-9924; Participant passcode: 7178154

*Pre-registration is not required. The link to the webinar and the conference call line will be activated on the day of the event.*"  [Source: National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics]

The Colorado Health Foundation: Mark Your Calendar!

The Colorado Health Foundation has shared several important dates for their annual conference and next grantmaking opportunity.

• Colorado Health Symposium registration opens
  April 30, 2013
• Applicant Information Session webinar
  May 13, 2013 
• Grant Application Deadline
  June 15, 2013

Gov. Hickenlooper's Health Agenda Announcement

Gov. John Hickenlooper invites you to learn about Colorado’s health agenda and meet the team that will lead these efforts.

Monday, May 6, 2013, 12:00-1:00pm at Civic Center Park
The LiveWell Colorado “Rally Man” will be energizing the crowd with some light exercise, and food trucks will have healthy lunch options available for purchase. The event is open to the public and remarks will begin at 11:30 a.m. Contact Katherine Blair with questions.

Primary Care Provider Self Attestation Form

"Changes to Medicaid primary care reimbursement were enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act. Eligible physicians will receive supplemental payments for services rendered between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014, that raise the Medicaid reimbursement to Medicare rates. Medicare rates have not been confirmed at this time.

To be eligible, physicians must personally attest as practicing in family medicine, general internal medicine and/or pediatric medicine and be board certified or meet thresholds for providing recent primary care services.  Advanced practice professionals practicing under the personal supervision of a qualified physician are eligible to receive the supplemental payment...Providers must fill out the short Self-Attestation Form in order to be eligible for the supplemental payments... Click here to read more.

• Self-Attestation Form
• FAQs
• Fact Sheet

[Source: Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing]

[Webinar] The Health Care Law and Health Disparities

When: April 29 at 2:00 pm ET

"The health care law, the Affordable Care Act, includes many provisions that address health disparities. The law also provides many benefits for Latinos, African Americans, Asian and Pacific Islanders and more. Join Acacia Salatti, Acting Director of the HHS Partnership Center, and other health experts in learning more about the Affordable Care Act and health disparities."  Click here to register.  [Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services]

Briefs on the Colorado Medicaid Expansion

Medicaid expansion will change the health insurance status of many Coloradans and how they access care.  Learn about the expansion in the issue briefs below.

"The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides financial incentives for states to increase the number of  people eligible for Medicaid – the federal state health insurance program. But while the health care law required states to implement the expansion or face a penalty, a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court made the expansion optional – and the subject of vigorous public policy debate.

Expanding Medicaid in Colorado would affect many Coloradans across a wide spectrum of circumstances..."  Click here to read the full brief.  [Source: Colorado Health Institute]

"The CHAS data provide insight into who Colorado Medicaid enrollees are and how they access and use health care. Medicaid is a valuable program that provides health coverage for low-income Coloradans, some of whom have great health care needs. The 2011 CHAS results show that there are opportunities to strengthen and improve the program, as this population faces unique challenges in accessing health care services when compared with those who are covered by employer-sponsored or individual insurance."  Click here to read the full brief.  [Source: Colorado Health Access Survey]

ACA Meeting in Denver on April 27th

"Affordable Care Act (ACA) meeting scheduled for April 27th. Come learn the myths from the facts about the ACA and get answers to your questions on Saturday, April 27th from 1:00 – 5:00 at Manual Auditorium in Denver. Get more details in the flyer or read the agenda here." This event is hosted by Colorado Black Health Collaborative, the Region VIII Office of Minority Health and the Office of Health Equity. [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

Progress-to-date of the adults without dependent children Medicaid expansion

"The currently limited adults without dependent children expansion in Medicaid has been progressing. The maximum number of enrollments has been consistently fulfilled while the waiting pool has been growing an average of 1,000 per month since September 2012.

It is positive to see that people are continuing to apply for benefits. Despite being put into the waiting pool, a connection to CICP in the meantime will assist them with needed care. Additionally, the state will be able to automatically enroll them into benefits on January 1, 2014.

We're pleased that the Department continues to share data on enrollment and we continue to request data on care utilization. Check out our data dashboard showing progress thus far (which excludes this month's expected enrollment increase)..."  Click here to read more.  [Source: Connect Campaign]

[Webinar] Using an Electronic Health Record for Health Information Exchange and Interoperability for Safety Net Providers

When: Friday, April 26, 2013, 2 PM ET

"This webinar will focus on how safety net providers can electronically exchange health information and achieve interoperability using electronic health records (EHRs).  Exchanging electronic health information with other providers is a requirement under Stage 2 of Meaningful Use and has been shown to reduce costs and duplication of services, increase patient engagement, enhance patient safety, and improve healthcare quality..." Click here to register.  [Source: Health Resources and Services Administration Health Information Technology and Quality Webinar and Technical Assistance Resources]

Colorado Senate Votes to Expand Medicaid

The state Senate voted Monday to expand government health insurance for the poor, a key part of the federal health-care law known as Obamacare...Under Senate Bill 200, adults making 133 percent of the federal poverty level – $15,282 for a single person – would qualify for Medicaid. The cost to insure the extra people will approach $1 billion a year next year, but the federal government will pay all the costs the first few years.More than 800,000 Coloradans lack health insurance. Aguilar said her bill is projected to cover 187,000 of them...  [Source: COPrevent]

THE Consortium Webinar - April 2013: What you should ask your vendors regarding Stage 2 and ICD10 - using our evaluation form

"Please join us for THE Consortium webinar on Thursday, April 25, 2013 from 12:00pm - 1:15pm where we will discuss what you should ask your vendors regarding Stage 2 and ICD10 - using our evaluation form..." Click here to register.  [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

ACA Implementation Newsletter & Provider Bulletin

Click here to view the latest ACA Implementation Newsletter.  This publication is designed for eligibility workers and those who are interested in implementation of the eligibility and enrollment provisions of the Affordable Care Act.  Beyond the news sections, information about training and stakeholder engagement opportunities, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing added a new section that features answers to reader questions.   

Also, the April Provider Bulletin is now available.  It contains information about the Provider Communication Survey; Third Party Bank Accounts; the Department’s Web site Changes; Client’s Who Need Assistance; Fee-for-Service Providers & ACC Members; NCCI Requirements and Billing Colonoscopies; ColoradoPAR; 2013 HCPCS and Fee Schedule; Physician Supplemental Payments; DME/Supply Providers & NCCI; Waiver Providers & Colorado Choice Transitions; IHS Pharmacies Billing Updates; Seroquel; Update.

Stakeholder meeting to discuss the movement of clients between Medicaid and the health insurance marketplace

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) will be hosting their second stakeholder meeting to discuss the movement of clients between Medicaid and the health insurance marketplace as we prepare to expand insurance coverage in 2014 as part of the Affordable Care Act.  This meeting will focus on providers, recognizing that clients may experience disruptions in care if they have to switch providers as they move between public and private insurance.

The meeting will take place on Monday, April 29th, from 9:00 – 10:30 am.  Please visit HCPF's website for full details and to register for the webinar.  Slides from the first meeting on March 18th are also available on this page.

This meeting is open to the public, but space is limited.  Organizations should send no more than one or two in-person attendees, and all in-person attendees must RSVP to sonja.madera@state.co.us by April 26th.  RSVPs for participation via phone are not required, but early registration for the webinar is recommended.  [Source: Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing]

HHS offers moms knowledge, help and support through a new breastfeeding initiative

"Today, Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA announced the launch of It’s Only Natural, a new public education campaign that aims to raise awareness among African American women of the importance of and benefits associated with breastfeeding and provide helpful tips...It’s Only Natural was developed to equip new moms with practical information and emotional support from peers, as well as tips and education about the benefits of breastfeeding and how to make it work in their own lives. All of the material is uniquely crafted for African American women. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.womenshealth.gov/ItsOnlyNatural."  [Source: COPrevent]

Learn more about how the new Skyla intrauterine system can help prevent unintended pregnancy in your patients!

Date: Thursday, April 25th
Time: 1:30pm.
Where:  Click here to access the Livestream online.

"The Family Planning Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment invites you to learn more about how the new Skyla intrauterine system can help prevent unintended pregnancy in your patients! Dr. Jan Shepherd, MD will be offering an introduction to Skyla, a review of prescribing information,  and a Q&A session.

Be sure to RSPV online by visiting www.BHC-RSVP.com and entering program code PRF2217.  Providers who register before April 22nd will receive a complimentary Skyla insertion kit."  [Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment]

Colorado Fact Sheet Shows School Health Center Benefits

"School based health centers provide many benefits to children and communities including better health, improved access to mental health, better chances for academic success, and reduced costs. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment adapted this fact sheet from the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care and contains additional research findings..."  [Source: COPrevent]

EHR & Meaningful Use Boot Camp/HIE Community Celebration & Reception

5.1.2013 DoubleTree Hotel – Durango, CO 

Interested in learning how you can optimize the use of your EHR? Want to avoid incurring Medicare penalties?  Attend the free EHR & Meaningful Use Boot Camp and learn how to incorporate Meaningful Use objectives into your practice to increase efficiency, improve patient outcomes and make the most of the expense and time you put into your EHR adoption.  HIE Community Celebration & Reception to follow boot camp.  Click here to view the flyer about these events.  [Source: CORHIO]

Free ICD-10 Webinar – 2 CEU’s from AAPC!

Cost: FREE
Date: Thursday April 25th from 11am – 1pm Mountain time

"An informative webinar to give a coder’s viewpoint of the ICD-10 transition and to alleviate fears of what the new code set will mean to coders and billers. We will review guideline changes, new concepts and problematic code sets, along with in-depth discussions of the impact to outpatient coders, tips on how to begin the education and training process, and tips on how to avoid potential pitfalls during the implementation process.

This program has the prior approval for 2.0 CEU’s from the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).

Space is limited! Go-to-Meeting details and powerpoint presentation slides will be emailed to registered participants 2 days prior to Webinar event. Please be sure to provide your email as part of your registration.

Click here to register!"  [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

Accountable Care Collaborative Survey

The Connect Campaign is interested to learn how much you know about the Accountable Care Collaborative.  Please share your thoughts by taking this brief survey!

UPDATE: Medicaid and Medicare Coding Available for Integrated Care

"As part of completing the Colorado (Promoting Integrated Care Sustainability (PICS) project recommendations, Medicaid and Medicare coding worksheets have been completed to assist in billing for integrated primary and behavioral care services.

A webinar and slides explaining the coding worksheets and their use can be found online. Scroll down to the billing/coding presentation called "Billing for Integrated Care Services — CO PICS" to access..."

Click the following links to access the documents:

• Medicaid Codes Available for Integrated Care 
• Medicare Codes Available for Integrated Care
• Medicare SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention & Referral to Treatment) document 

For more information, contact Marilyn S. Gaipa with Care Solutions, LLC.

Asthma Training On Demand

"ACU and the Clinical Directors Network (CDN) will present a live webcast on Building a Comprehensive Asthma Care Home: Engaging Clinicians, Patients and Caregivers in Comprehensive Asthma Management on April 25, 2 - 3 p.m. ET. Registration is free and the webinar has been approved for 1.0 prescribed credits by the American Academy of Family Physicians..."  [Source: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved]

How CHIP Can Help Meet Child Specific Requirements and Needs in the Exchange: Considerations for Policymakers

"There are compelling reasons to consider how the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) can be used as a resource to meet the child-specific exchange requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). With support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, NASHP analyzed federal statutes, regulations, and guidance for CHIP and the exchange, and interviewed state and national experts to inform this work. The resulting brief offers options for using CHIP as a tool to inform exchange design and the companion piece compares selected CHIP and exchange requirements to highlight their alignment."  [Source: NASHP]

New county-level estimates of health insurance coverage in 2016

The Colorado Health Institute has released new county-level estimates of health insurance coverage in 2016.  An Excel table with the estimates is available for download from our website here (upon entering your name and email address).  [Source: Colorado Health Institute]

Assessing ICD-10 Impact on Your Practice

"Implementing ICD-10 in your practice will impact nearly everyone from the front desk, to the clinical staff and physicians, on through the coding, billing and reporting personnel.

Now that you and your staff have a better understanding of what ICD-10 is all about, take the next step down the path, get out your whiteboard and sticky notes and sign up for the free Coalition webinar on Tuesday, April 16, 2013, 12-1 PM MDT." Click here to register.  [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

FREE Blood Cancer Conference

"The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is hosting its annual Blood Cancer Conference on Saturday, April 20, 2013 in downtown  Denver.  If you, or someone you know has been affected by a blood cancer, check out this FREE conference!  There are tracks for both health care professionals and patients, caregivers, friends, and family.  There is also a sub-track specific for young adult survivors (ages 18-40), and multiple sessions in Spanish."  [Source: COPrevent]

Report Says Experience of CHIP Hints at Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Providers

"Enrollment in public health insurance coverage will expand significantly beginning in 2014. At this time there is only a limited understanding of what happens when an influx of newly insured patients encounters a relatively fixed supply of providers. Will they choose to work longer hours to accommodate the increase in demand? The experience of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) offers a preview of how providers might respond to the expansion.

According to a report in the Medicare & Medicaid Research Review, researchers from the Government Accountability Office and the Washington-based Center for Studying Health System Change found that the creation of the Children's Health Insurance Program in 1997 did not create a deluge of patients that the nation's pediatricians couldn't handle. Read more here."  [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

Free Online Continuing Education Programs Available from the ADA

"The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease (iDOC) are offering two new, online continuing education programs for primary care providers that address individualized practical approaches to managing obesity in type 2 diabetes using a risk-based decision making approach.

These online, free-of-charge continuing education programs are:

• Shared Decision-Making for Clinical Success in the Obese Person with Type 2 Diabetes  Click here to register
• Clinical Shared Decision-Making with the Obese Person with Type 2 Diabetes and a BMI >35  Click here to register"  

[Source: COPrevent]

PEAK Updates

PEAK's monthly news communication contains several valuable updates and learning opportunities.

• Wednesday 4/3/2013, NOON, for County and Community Partner Staff
  CO PEAK Outreach Team has rescheduled their regular PEAK Support Call to better support subject matter expert attendance.  Calls will now be on the first Wednesday of each month at noon. To join the phone conference on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013, noon - 1:00PM, dial (712) 432-0220 and when prompted enter this code: 5642211#.  On support calls the CO PEAK Outreach Team provides any significant PEAK system updates, and spend most of the hour with subject matter experts answering questions from county and community-based organization staff.  This is also a forum where staff can share best practices and collaboratively discuss ways to improve the system.
• CBMS Communication Survey Results Are In!
  The CBMS Executive Steering Committee and Communication Integrated Project Team thank all who responded to the recent srveys on CBMS communications!  The survey, distributed at the end of January 2013, gathered perceptions about CBMS communications from both CBMS users and community partners...Two major themes were revealed in the CBMS user survey: users receive too many CBMS communications from multiple sources (CBMS, CDHS, HCPF, and Service Desk); users are frustrated about the timeliness of notices regarding outages and slowdowns...From the community partner survey, it is apparent that a single source for information is needed. The recommendation is to use the new www.CBMSColorado.com website as the respository for all policy changes, builds, and system information for community partners. Until the website is up, the CBMS Communications Team plans to provide regular updates distributed via existing communications networks to community partners...Any additional comments or questions regarding CBMS communications, or to get a summary of the survey results, please contact CBMS.Liaison@state.co.us.
• Introduction to PEAK Webinar:  Wednesday 4/3/2013, for County and Community Partner Staff
  To join the Introduction to PEAK webinar on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013, please dial into audio at (866) 740-1260 and click HERE to connect to the webinar.  These webinars are open to any staff - please use them freely to help orient new staff or to provide a refresher for those already working with PEAK. Webinars occur from 9:00 - 10:30AM on the first Wednesday of every month. 
• Application Walk-through Webinar:  Monday 4/8/2013, for County and Community Partner Staff
  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 the CO PEAK Outreach Team will dive into the application so that you can familiarize yourself with the questions that are 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, April 8th webinar, click HERE. To hear the audio portion of the call, dial (866) 740-1260.  

[Source:  CO PEAK Outreach Team]