SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #60: Fidelity Reviews Delayed for Current Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams

NC Medicaid, in partnership with the DHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services (DMHDDSAS), is temporarily modifying its Behavioral Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disability Clinical Coverage Policies to better enable the delivery of care to NC Medicaid, NC Health Choice and State-funded individuals in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Effective April 16, 2020, any Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team or Individual Placement and Support (IPS) team that met fidelity prior to the State of Emergency related to COVID-19 will continue to meet Medicaid and State-funded services policy requirements through the end of the declared State of Emergency.

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the earlier of the cancellation of the North Carolina state of emergency declaration or when the policy modification is rescinded. When the temporary modifications end, all prior service requirements will resume.

The Department is evaluating language to ensure that the LME-MCOs have clear guidance on when policy guidance and Joint Communication Bulletins take precedence over the contract during the North Carolina State of Emergency related to COVID-19 and will clarify in a future communication to the LME-MCOs. 

Additional Resources

NC Medicaid COVID-19 Resources website 

Contact

Medicaid Contact Center: 888-245-0179