State Legislative session continues!

Thanks to a contract with Frontline Public Affairs, community safety net clinic directors are receiving periodic email updates on the activities in the current 2017 State of Colorado Legislative Session. Click here to view a 2017 bill tracker specifically for community safety net clinics.

Part of the state legislature's work includes the 17/18 State Budget (aka the long bill). The Colorado Primary Care Alliance continues its efforts to ensure that the partial bump for Medicaid primary care continues for the next fiscal year, and so far so good. We do anticipate this will be the final year of this bump as the State is moving toward alternative payment models for primary care.

Latest from CO Dept. of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF)

HCPF recently launched a new Claims Payment System, the Colorado interChange, for processing payments for Health First Colorado (Medicaid) and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+). In addition, a new Provider Web Portal and a new Pharmacy Benefits Management System (Pharmacy Point of Sale system) were also recently launched. This was not only a transition to new systems, but to new vendors and new processes. The transition appears to be rough; you, along with other clinics, may be experiencing problems!

"There are a number of resources available on the Department’s website. Here they are in one place:

Provider Web Portal

Provider Web Portal Recorded Webinars

Provider Web Portal FAQs (scroll down webpage) and Web Portal Cheat Sheets:

·         Copy, Adjust, or Void a Claim

·         Delegates

·         Provider Maintenance

·         Updating your EFT/ERA Information

·         Validating a Trading Partner ID (TPID)

·         Verifying Member Eligibility

Provider Resources – includes updates on suspended claim status.

Go-Live Guide – identifies changes to Late Bill Override dates on page 6. Please check the updated billing manual for timely filing rules.

Other notes:

·         There is a resolution for denials due to  EOB 1473 – ‘Multiple Provider Locations for Billing Provider Specialty.’ These claims will need to be rebilled starting tomorrow morning 3/10/17. This will be communicated out on the web portal.

·         Submitting claims in provider web portal – the error message when submitting claims has been resolved.

·         An additional financial cycle ran on Tuesday 3/7, in addition to the first financial cycle which ended on Sunday night at 7pm.

·         To register for an account on the Provider Web Portal, the display name cannot have a space (e.g. JohnDoe not John Doe). Please see this work-around for more information.

·         HPE wait times and dropping of calls (not on purpose) is HPE’s highest priority; hiring and training additional agents

o   Providers can check member eligibility through an automated voice system, call 1-844-801-8478.

o   Otherwise, continue to call 1-844-235-2387 or visit the Provider Resources website."

CSNC Strategy Session March 20, 1-4pm

WE STILL NEED YOUR VOICE IN ALIGNING FUTURE WORK ON BEHALF OF COMMUNITY SAFETY NET CLINICS (CSNCs)!

Clinic directors please attend a facilitated strategy session on Monday, March 20, 1:00-4:00pm at COPIC (7351 E. Lowry Blvd., Denver) to hear updates on outreach with health funders, community stakeholders and partners from Kraig Burleson, Jessica Dunbar & Kim Boyd (ClinicNET's last Board Chair). NOW is the time to reconvene and chart the plan for next steps for a collective voice for community safety net clinics!  PLEASE PRIORITIZE THIS ENGAGEMENT…your voice is essential!  If you are not able to attend in person please join us virtually via Zoom:

• Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/337894111
• Or iPhone one-tap (US Toll):  +16465588656,337894111# or +14086380968,337894111#
• Or Telephone: Dial: +1 646 558 8656 (US Toll) or +1 408 638 0968 (US Toll), Meeting ID: 337 894 111

What's happening on the national level with health care?

Although there are lots of conversations taking place on many fronts about the fate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and what might, or might not come next, we really know nothing for sure yet. To that end, however, please be aware of a few important Colorado efforts relative to federal health policy:

• The Colorado Health Institute has launched a federal health policy project called 'Re: ACA'.
  
  
• The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative is coordinating a newly formed Protect our Care Colorado Campaign. Click here to join the coalition & consider attending the March 7, 9:00-11:00am coalition meeting to learn more about what is happening at the federal level on key health policy issues and how advocates can work together to protect the programs that are vital to our health care system. Also, be sure to check out  the Protect Our Care Colorado Toolkit! 

• The newly formed Colorado Health Policy Coalition is a broad & diverse group of stakeholders dedicated to proactively positioning Colorado to shape the federal conversation about the future of health care in America."The goals of this effort were to (a) educate, engage and serve as a resource to coordinate and support advocacy efforts of a broad cross-section of stakeholders and (b) help influence/shape the thinking of Colorado’s state and federal lawmakers’ about impending changes in federal health policy. Specifically, we coalesced around the goal of ensuring that policymakers do not repeal the Affordable Care Act without a clear path forward for an alternate health policy framework for our country that is rational, practical and grounded in shared values. The coalition has an informal Steering Committee and is being supported by Cody Belzley & Michele Ames through funds from the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Hospital Association & Colorado Health Foundation." 

Latest from the Dept. of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF)

• At a Glance - February 2017 (At a Glance is a HCPF publication which provides information on major initiatives including policy changes and program updates.)
• Medicaid Provider Bulletin - March 2017
• Learn more about Medicaid's (Health First Colorado) Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC) and ACC 2.0 (July 1, 2018 start). Additionally, learn more about the related Primary Care Payment Reform work!
• Learn about the proposed changes to the Colorado Indigent Care Program (CICP)! New provider application will be released April 14 and due May 15. 
• Primary Care Fund - 17/18 application has been released and is due May 25!
• Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM) - SIM RFA for Cohort 2 open now!

State Legislative Session!

Thanks to a contract with Frontline Public Affairs, community safety net clinic directors are receiving email updates on the activities in the current 2017 State of Colorado Legislative Session. (The state legislature is scheduled to be in session January 11 - May 10, 2017.) Click here to view a 2017 bill tracker specifically for community safety net clinics.

Immigrant health stories needed

The Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved (CCMU) and the Coalition for Immigrant Health are looking for storytellers to work with media as we receive requests. They would love storytellers from two perspectives: 

1. Patient stories (especially patients who live in these counties: Alamosa, Baca, Bent, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Custer, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Mineral, Otero, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache, Adams, El Paso, and Jefferson), and 
2. Health care leader perspective (including but not limited to providers, administrators, CEOs).

CCMU will work one-on-one with storyteller volunteers to prepare them for media interviews, and will also work to protect storyteller identity if storyteller would prefer to conceal name and photos (e.g., if a person is an immigrant). These stories will help boost much-needed attention among constituents, legislators, and other decision-makers on how much we value health for immigrants in Colorado. Once you've expressed your interest, you are free to decline or accept any opportunity that comes your way. Interested storytellers should contact Aubrey Hill (aubrey.hill@ccmu.org).