Topics Related to All Providers

As NC Medicaid's managed care launch date approaches, Advanced Medical Home (AMH) providers who believe they are not ready to meet program requirements to perform at the tier level to which they attested may now submit a request to change their AMH Tier status from Tier 3 to Tier 2. The AMH Tier 3 providers may not downgrade lower than AMH Tier 2.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has expanded the regions awarded to Carolina Complete Health, Inc. (CCH) to serve as a health plan under the state’s transition to Medicaid Managed Care. In addition to serving regions 3 and 5 in the state, the provider-led health plan will also serve region 4.

The 2020 ICD-10 update will be in place effective Oct. 1, 2019 through Sept. 30, 2020, for provider use. Providers can access the list of ICD-10 codes on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website.

The NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment System (NC-MIPS) is only accepting Program Year 2019 Stage 3 Meaningful Use (MU) attestations. All eligible professionals (EPs) attesting in Program Year 2019 will be required to attest to Stage 3 MU and use a 2015 Edition of certified EHR technology (CEHRT).

Providers were notified in the August Medicaid bulletin that as of May 1, 2019, the sterilization consent form was updated with an expiration date of April 30, 2022. The sterilization consent form found on the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) website has been updated. Providers should now be using this version when submitting the sterilization consent form to the NC Medicaid fiscal agent. 

Several new or amended clinical coverage policies are available on NC Medicaid’s website.

The clinical criteria used by NC Medicaid for the 2019-2020 Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) season are consistent with guidance published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): 2018 – 2021 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, 31st Edition. This guidance for Synagis use among infants and children at increased risk of hospitalization for RSV infection is available online by subscription. The coverage season is Nov. 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020. Providers are encouraged to review the AAP guidance prior to the start of the RSV season.

Beginning Oct. 15, 2019, North Carolina Medicaid Bulletin articles will be delivered more often and in an online format. The improvements are in response to feedback from providers looking for a flexible way to receive important Medicaid information to better serve beneficiaries and more effectively operate their businesses.

*NOTE: THE CONTENT OF THIS BULLETIN IS AN UPDATE TO A MEDICAID SPECIAL BULLETIN PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 5, 2019 REGARDING FLEXIBILITIES RELATED TO HURRICANE DORIAN.

This Special Bulletin includes several articles regarding Hurricane Dorian.

For inclusion in auto-enrollment, provider contracts must be signed and mailed to the health plans no later than Nov. 15, 2019. A list of questions and answers is provided for reference regarding this deadline.