Topics Related to Bulletins

NC Medicaid has temporarily modified its Telemedicine and Telepsychiatry Clinical Coverage Policy to better enable the delivery of remote care to Medicaid beneficiaries. These changes are retroactive to March 10, 2020, and will end the earlier of the cancellation of the North Carolina state of emergency declaration or when the policy modification is rescinded. 

SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #42: Telehealth Clinical Policy Modifications – Postpartum Care.has been replaced by SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #49: Telehealth Clinical Policy Modifications – Interim Perinatal Care Guidance.

Eligible Providers and Services - Optometrists may now bill for the following services when delivered remotely:

NC Medicaid has temporarily modified the delivery of specific optical and hearing aid services to reduce in-person visits for Medicaid and NC Health Choice beneficiaries due to the state of emergency related to COVID-19. These temporary changes are retroactive to March 10, 2020, and will end the earlier of the cancellation of the North Carolina state of emergency declaration or when these modifications are rescinded. When the temporary modifications end, all face-to-face service requirements resume.

Note: SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #39 replaces SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #8: Face-to-Face Provider Site Visits and Fingerprinting Requirements Temporarily Suspended Due to COVID-19 Outbreak. Changes to the prior Bulletin are:

Current Policy: Private Duty Nursing (PDN) Clinical Coverage Policy 3G-1. Private Duty Nursing for Beneficiaries Age 21 and older and Private Duty Nursing (PDN) Clinical Coverage Policy 3G-2 Private Duty Nursing for Beneficiaries Age Under 21 years of age section 5.2.4.1:

(d) If services are terminated as a result of the beneficiary’s loss of Medicaid, or if no PDN services are provided during the 30 consecutive days for any reason such as a hospitalization, then the prior approval process must be initiated once again as outlined in Subsections 5.1 and 5.2. 

DHHS and Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) have launched a toll-free Patient Information and Support Line aimed at helping health care providers answer their patients' questions related to COVID-19. Their goal is to relieve some of the tremendous strain the pandemic is putting on health care providers and their staff.  

The new helpline is called COVID-19 Triage Plus. Health care providers can recommend their patients call 1-877-490-6642 for assistance from nurse care managers who can help patients with: 

SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #34 replaces the following Medicaid Bulletins in their entirety: SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #9: Telehealth Provisions – Clinical Policy Modification; SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #19: Telehealth Provisions – Clinical Policy Modification and SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #28: [ADDENDUM to Bulletin #9 Effective March 20, 2020] : Telehealth Provisions – Clinical Policy Modification. New telehealth codes, F. Place of Service change and a clarification to "psychologists" are included.