Advocacy Updates by David Bolin
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Waiver Name Change
Effective July 1, 2022, the name of the Home & Community-Based Services Spinal Cord Injury (HCBS-SCI) waiver will be changed to the HCBS Complementary and Integrative Health Waiver (HCBS-CIH Waiver). The name change is pursuant to SB21-038: Expansion of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In addition to renaming the waiver, the legislation authorized the expansion of the waiver statewide and to offer complementary and integrative health services to HCBS members living with a spinal cord injury (traumatic and nontraumatic), multiple sclerosis, brain injury, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, or cerebral palsy with the inability for independent ambulation resulting from one of these conditions. It also added coverage across the state rather than restricting it to the Denver metro area.
House Bill (HB) 22-1290 Implementation
Pursuant to HB22-1290 “Changes to Medicaid for Wheelchair Repairs”, prior authorization requests (PARs) for repairs of Complex Rehabilitative Technology (CRT) equipment will no longer be required for dates of service on or after July 1, 2022. Claims related to the repair of CRT will not require a PAR when billed with the modifier RB.
Contact Haylee Rodgers at Haylee.Rodgers@state.co.us with questions.
Case Management Redesign
The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), the State Medicaid agency, is moving forward with the case management system redesign and will start using the new Assessment and Support Planning Tool in October 2022. This new assessment can take up to 4 hours to complete. The state will change its current system of Community Centered Boards, Single Entry Points, and private case management agencies to only 21 case management agencies in the state. These changes will affect every Medicaid client on a Home and Community Based Waiver. You can review some of the department’s intentions at: https://hcpf.colorado.gov/case-management-redesign.
Community First Choice Meetings
The next Community First Choice meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 13th from 2-4 pm. This discussion will cover IHSS and Health Maintenance Activities in Community First Choice. You can attend using the following login information:
Webinar/Call-in Information:
Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/puj-crid-xhb
Call-in Number: 1-260-230-1249 / Pin: 719 313 221#
Virtual/Phone Meeting Only – until further notice
For more information, email hcpf_cfc@state.co.us
Public Health Emergency Redeterminations – How to Prepare
The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing is starting to send redetermination packets to Medicaid recipients to get started on redeterminations in anticipation that the public health emergency related to COVID-19 will end by the end of 2022. We anticipate that the PHE will be renewed in July for up to 90 days.
The Dept. of Health and Human Services has been providing Medicaid agencies across the country with ideas on how to prepare for the end of the PHE and to restart redeterminations of Medicaid eligibility. Colorado’s Medicaid agency, Health First Colorado, is asking Medicaid recipients to update their contact information (see below). Redeterminations packets are time-sensitive and need to be completed in a timely fashion.
Medicaid needs you to update your contact information. If you have Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) or Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) and you’ve moved within the last 3 years, make sure you can get important information about your health coverage.
You must respond to letters to see if you still qualify for health coverage. Those letters go to your address or email, so it is important that your contact information is up to date.
Updating your address, phone number, and email is quick and easy.
You can update your information in one of these ways:
- Visit Colorado.gov/PEAK. If you don’t have a PEAK account, you can create one at Colorado.gov/PEAK.
- Use the Health First Colorado app on your phone. This free app is for Health First Colorado and CHP+ members. Download it for free in the Google Play or Apple App stores.
Contact PASCO if you need assistance with this process. - CHP+ members can call 800-359-1991 (State Relay: 711). Help is available in multiple languages.
- Contact your County Department of Human Services or Social Services to change your contact information. You can find your County office at: https://cdhs.colorado.gov/our-partners/counties/contact-your-county-human-services-department
Actualice su información de contacto
Si tiene Health First Colorado (Programa de Medicaid de Colorado) o Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) y se ha mudado en los últimos 3 años, asegúrese de poder obtener información importante sobre su cobertura de salud.
Tiene que responder a las cartas para ver si aún es elegible para la cobertura de salud. Esas cartas van a su dirección o correo electrónico, por lo que es importante que su información de contacto esté actualizada.
Actualizar su dirección, número de teléfono y correo electrónico es rápido y sencillo. Puede actualizar su información de una de estas maneras:
- Visite Colorado.gov/PEAK. Si no tiene una cuenta de PEAK, puede crear una en Colorado.gov/PEAK.
- Use la aplicación de Health First Colorado en su teléfono. Esta aplicación gratuita es para miembros de Health First Colorado y CHP+. Descárguela gratis en las tiendas Google Play o Apple Store.
- Los miembros de CHP+ pueden llamar al 1-800-359-1991 (retransmisión estatal: 711). La ayuda está disponible en varios idiomas.
- Contacte al departamento de servicios humanos de su condado.
