Topics Related to All Providers

Program Year 2019 is Closed, NC-MIPS is Open for Program Year 2020, Program Year 2020 Webinar Series and The Security Risk Analysis (SRA).

This bulletin replaces SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #68 in its entirety. NC Medicaid is directing increased financial assistance to North Carolina Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) and Adult Care Homes (ACH) to support addressing the increased costs of caring for COVID positive (COVID+) residents in a congregate care setting. 
 

NC Medicaid is temporarily adding Telemedicine and Telepsychiatry clinical coverage codes for specialty providers and increasing reimbursement rates for telephonic visits and primary care medical home per member per month fees to help primary and specialty care providers continue to serve patients during the COVID-19 emergency.

Update (May 8, 2020)

  • Bulletin #78 includes information that Local Health Department (LHDs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), FQHC Look-Alikes and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) may use, as out

NC Medicaid has temporarily modified its Telemedicine and Telepsychiatry Clinical Coverage Policy to better enable the delivery of remote care to Medicaid and Health Choice beneficiaries.

NC Medicaid is temporarily increasing financial assistance to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to support them in maintaining critical access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries during the COVID-19 emergency.

Effective May 1, 2020, Liberty Healthcare of North Carolina will resume completion of annual assessments. SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #30: Personal Care Services Assessments also indicated that annual assessments due would have Prior Approvals extended for a minimum of 90 days. 

NC Medicaid has adjusted home health requirements currently in Home Health Clinical Coverage Policy No: 3A to align with a CMS regulatory change focused mostly on changes to the Medicare policy addressing COVID-19.

NC Medicaid temporarily suspended the requirement of Level I and Level II Preadmission Screening and Resident Reviews (PASRRs) for new nursing home admissions as well as the requirement of a PASRR number on the prior approval (PA).  The temporary suspension was due to COVID-19 and was in effect from March 25 – April 24, 2020, as noted in SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #15: Medicaid and NC Health Choice Temporary Flexibilities - 1135 Waiver Provisions.

This Bulletin clarifies which specific Prior Authorizations were lifted on the March 1, 2020, effective date stated in SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #15: Medicaid and NC Health Choice Temporary Flexibilities - 1135 Waiver Provisions (posted March 24, 2020), including references all relevant Prior Authorization information included in other Bulletins; replaces the effective dates originally stated in the following Bulletins: SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #2: General Guidance and Policy Modifications (posted March 13, 2020); SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #10: Durable Medical Equipment: Temporary Flexibilities Effective March 23, 2020 (posted March 24, 2020); and SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #11: Outpatient Specialized Therapies Temporary Flexibilities (posted March 24, 2020).