Recent Releases and Announcements
We want to hear from you: Medicaid.gov Partner Workgroup
The CMCS Medicaid.gov team invites you to participate in an ongoing forum for states and other partners to provide feedback on key changes, updates, and content and functionality enhancements to Medicaid.gov. States and other partners are a key target audience of Medicaid.gov, and your participation will help us make the site better meet your needs.
- How can I sign up?
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- Email Ashley.Lewis1@cms.hhs.gov
- The next scheduled workgroup meeting is January 25, so get in touch with Ashley before then.
- What’s involved?
- Standing quarterly webinar meetings
- Email or offline communication between meetings as needed
- What kind of feedback or participation is helpful?
- Feedback on recent changes – as new information is published, the Medicaid.gov team may ask for your opinion about the usefulness and relevance of the information.
- Feedback on future changes – as the Medicaid.gov team considers new content or functionality, we may ask for your opinion about the usefulness of the changes or functionality.
- Usability testing – the Medicaid.gov team may ask for your help understanding how the site is used by asking you to complete certain tasks on the site and providing feedback.
- Will this be a forum to discuss policy questions or issues?
- No, this group is limited exclusively to the design and maintenance of the website. While we’d love to hear from you about content you feel is missing or irrelevant, this is not a forum to discuss or answer questions about the substance of CMS Medicaid, CHIP, or BHP policy.
- If policy questions arise, the Medicaid.gov team will help direct you to the appropriate resource.
- How will this help me?
- If you use Medicaid.gov, your feedback will help make it a better site and easier to use.
- You’ll get to preview new functionality and tell us what you think.
- Your perspective is important to us. You may have thoughts or feedback we haven’t considered. Feedback from this forum has already substantively impacted content and functionality of Medicaid.gov.
- If you work on your organization’s website, this is a good chance to collaborate, learn how we manage Medicaid.gov, and identify ways for our sites to work better together.
Upcoming Calls and Webinars
Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Two-Part Training Series
Today! January 10, 2018: Part Two – Strategies for EVV Implementation
This training will share promising practices for states to consider when selecting and implementing their EVV model. This training will also review strategies for training and educating state staff, providers, individuals and their families on the use of EVV. Lewis & Ellis and Navigant will present this training with support from Ralph Lollar and Kenya Cantwell.
Wednesday, January 10th 1:30-3pm
Audio Option #1: 1-844-396-8222 Your WebEx Meeting Number: 907 626 064
Audio Option #2 and Webinar
Special Open Door Forum: New Medicare Card Project
CMS’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) will host a Special Open Door Forum (ODF) to allow State Medicaid agencies, Medicaid providers, Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), Medicaid partners and other Medicaid stakeholders an opportunity to learn more about and ask questions regarding CMS’s approach towards changing the Social Security Number-based Health Insurance Claim Numbers (HICN) to the new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI). During this ODF we will cover the background of the New Medicare Card Project, the implementation of new Medicare numbers, the format of the new number, timeline & milestones, the transition period, outreach & education, and what you need to know to get ready for the new number.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
2:00pm – 3:00pm Eastern Time
Conference Call Only
Please dial in at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call
Special Open Door Participation Instructions:
Participant Dial-In Number: 1-800-837-1935
Conference ID #: 8259057
Visit New Medicare Project for more information.
Feedback and questions on the New Medicare Card Project can be sent to: NewMedicareCardSSNRemoval@cms.hhs.gov
Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program
Register Now: Medicaid IAP Information Session (January 16, 2018)
New Technical Support Opportunity for States: Value-Based Payment for Home and Community-Based Services
The Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP)’s Community-Integration through Long-Term Service and Supports (CI-LTSS) Program Area is launching an 11-month long technical support opportunity for up to 10 states seeking to design Value-Based Payment (VBP) strategies for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). We invite you to join us for an information session to learn more about this opportunity on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 from 3:30 pm - 4:30pm ET.
During the information session, participants will learn about the goals, structure, and technical support approach for working with states on VBP for HCBS. Selected states will have the opportunity to work with HCBS industry experts through their individualized technical support and state-to-state learning activities.
This technical support opportunity is open to states at all levels of experience and progress in developing a VBP strategy for HCBS. States that have previously participated in the Medicaid IAP CI-LTSS Incentivizing Quality and Outcomes (IQO) tracks are welcome to submit an expression of interest for this technical support opportunity. To register for this webinar, please click on this link: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/sfzwb1haxn1a&eom
Register Now: Medicaid IAP National Learning Webinar (January 25, 2018)
Working with Unique Beneficiary Identifications in Medicaid Data
To assist Medicaid and CHIP agencies with their data analytic needs, the CMS Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP) will host a national learning webinar on Thursday, January 25, 2018 from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm ET about strategies for working with unique beneficiary identifications (IDs) in Medicaid. During this webinar, state Medicaid agencies and other interested stakeholders will learn about approaches to common challenges associated with IDs, such as duplication, beneficiaries moving across states, mothers and newborns sharing the same ID, and administrative errors.
Presenters will share different perspectives on addressing issues associated with beneficiary IDs. Bruce Greenstein, Chief Technology Officer from the Department of Health and Human Services, will share best practices applied within a state environment. Additionally, states will learn about deduplication, probabilistic and deterministic matching, as well as linking beneficiary data to the National Death Index. To register for the webinar, click on this link: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/6j0vvk1ylfri&eom
Register Now: Medicaid IAP Information Session (January 29, 2018)
New Technical Support Opportunities for States: Reducing Substance Use Disorders
The CMS Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program’s (IAP) Reducing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) program area is launching new technical support opportunities for state Medicaid agencies. All interested states are encouraged to attend the information session on Monday, January 29, 2018 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET to learn more.
During this information session, states will learn about collaborative learning and individualized technical support opportunities offered through the Medicaid IAP SUD program area, including an Opioid Data Analytics Cohort. Webinar participants will also learn about additional opportunities available to states, such as a Data Dashboards Flash Track, Rapid Response on Best Practices, Medication-Assisted Treatment Model/Payment Design, and 1115 SUD Strategic Design Support.
Register Now: Medicaid IAP National Learning Webinar (January 31, 2018)
Determining Performance Benchmarks for a Medicaid Value-Based Payment Program
On Wednesday, January 31, 2018 from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm ET, the CMS Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP) is holding a national webinar for state Medicaid agencies and other interested stakeholders to learn about various benchmarking methods and considerations for setting performance benchmarks in a Medicaid value-based payment program. The webinar will also include presentations and insights by state Medicaid officials from Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organizations Pay-For-Performance Program and Vermont’s Medicaid Shared Savings Program.
Register Now: Medicaid IAP National Learning Webinar (February 6, 2018)
Medicaid Strategies for Promoting Provider Capacity for Physical and Mental Health Integration
To assist Medicaid and CHIP agencies, CMS’s Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP) Physical and Mental Health Integration program area is hosting a national learning webinar on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm ET about Medicaid strategies for promoting provider capacity for physical and mental health integration.
Webinar participants will hear from Dr. Ben Miller, a national expert in the field, who will provide an overview of key components for providers to increase physical and mental health integration capacity. This webinar will also feature speakers from Medicaid agencies in Hawaii and New Hampshire, who will share physical and mental health integration provider capacity strategies and lessons learned.