AUGUST 11, 2020 | COMMUNICATION BULLETIN ISSUE 6 IN THIS ISSUE: IRIS Downtime on Wednesday | Psychological Testing and IDD Eligibility Determinations | Phase 2 Medicaid/CHIP Provider Relief Fund General Distribution | WNC COVID-19 Regional Report | Understanding the Final Rule for 42 CFR Part 2 | Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Webinar Series | 4th Annual Regional Perinatal Substance Exposure Summit
IRIS Downtime on Wednesday IRIS will be unavailable on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, from 7 to 8 a.m. for an IT security update. If the system becomes available earlier, N.C. DHHS will post this information on the IRIS website and notify LME/MCOs. Because IRIS reports are due within 72 clock hours from the time that the provider learns of an incident, providers may obtain a hard copy of the report from the IRIS website before Wednesday morning or print forms from the DHHS website. Reports can be submitted to Vaya via fax at 828-3984407 and to the DMH/DD/SAS Customer Service and Community Rights Team via fax at 919-7334962 within the mandated timeframes and procedures. Providers will still need to enter the report into IRIS once the system is available. Reports to be filed with the DHSR Healthcare Personnel Registry should be faxed to the registry at 919-733-3207 within specified timeframes. Reports regarding deaths (suicide, homicide/violence, accident or restraint) in a licensed facility should be reported to the DHSR Complaint Intake Unit via fax at 919-715-7724. Please email any questions to Vaya’s Grievance Resolution and Incident Team at IncidentReport@vayahealth.com.
Psychological Testing and IDD Eligibility Determinations In general, Vaya requires that members who receive services for an intellectual and/or developmental disability (IDD) have clinical documentation establishing the IDD, including adaptive and intellectual functional impairments, completed prior to adulthood. (Adulthood is defined as age 22 for Medicaidfunded services and age 18 for non-Medicaid-funded services.) However, in the absence of such clinical documentation, Vaya allows certain exceptions to support the determination that it is probable the IDD existed prior to adulthood. The criteria used for nonMedicaid-funded and Medicaid-funded services when determining presumptive eligibility for IDD services are available on the Vaya website. Related Communication Bulletins:
On May 17, 2019, DHHS released LME-MCO Joint Communication Bulletin #J325 regarding I/DD Eligibility for State-Funded Services . On June 12, 2020, DHHS released LME-MCO Joint Communication Bulletin #J366 regarding Level of Care and Supporting Documentation During COVID-19 State of Emergency. Note that this flexibility is temporary and is effective until the earlier of the following dates: March 12, 2021, or NC Medicaid’s termination of the N.C. Innovations Appendix K flexibilities. Documentation must support that entrance criteria is met.
Rules of the Road: Phase 2 Medicaid/CHIP Provider Relief Fund General Distribution The National Council for Behavioral Health has developed a step-by-step guide to assist users with the Medicaid/CHIP portal. The new “Rules of the Road” will help providers navigate the application process. Learn more: Rules of the Road
WNC COVID-19 Regional Report Vaya is proud to be a key partner in the weekly WNC COVID-19 Regional Report from the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in conjunction with eight other WNC health and social services organizations. Together, we’re committed to providing WNC’s medical community with timely information on COVID-19 through weekly updates on regional trends, needs, resources and training opportunities. Read more: WNC COVID-19 Regional Report (Aug. 7, 2020)
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Understanding the Final Rule for 42 CFR Part 2 and Next Steps Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, 2 p.m. Starting Aug. 14, 2020, a new final rule goes into effect that updates regulations administering the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records, known as 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2). This final rule will serve as an interim and transitional standard until regulations conforming to the CARES Act can be promulgated. Join the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, American Psychiatric Association and American Society of Addiction Medicine for a webinar to learn about the final regulation released and provisions included in the CARES Act to further modernize and align Part 2 with HIPAA. Learn more: Understanding the Final Rule for 42 CFR Part 2 and Next Steps
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Webinar Series Aug. 27 – Sept. 17, 2020 Northwest AHEC and the Wake Forest School of Medicine will hold a four-part webinar series that focuses on the importance of preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies, the prevalence of FASD in our state and the efforts needed to support people and families affected by the
disorder. Learn more: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Webinar Series
4th Annual Regional Perinatal Substance Exposure Summit Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, 2020 This MAHEC summit will share the most up-to-date and important information you need to know on how to deliver care to women, infants and families affected by substance use disorders. This year’s summit provides evidence-based models of care for the assessment and treatment of substance-exposed neonates, as well as how to support the mother-baby dyad throughout the early years of childhood development. For those unfamiliar with this terminology, mother-baby dyad care, including skin-to-skin contact of healthy infants and mothers, is an important component of maternal-newborn care. Beginning at birth, mothers and newborns should be viewed as a unit with no disruption of the parent-infant relationship. Learn more: 4th Annual Regional Perinatal Substance Exposure Summit
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