Practice Support Newsletter

July 2023

Measure of the Month

Prenatal and Postpartum Care (PPC)

NC Medicaid along with the Standard Plans and Tailored Plans, are focusing on improving prenatal and postpartum care. This measure has two facets of prenatal and postpartum care; they are:  

1. Timeliness of Prenatal Care. The percentage of deliveries that received a prenatal care visit in the first trimester, on or before the enrollment start date or within 42 days of enrollment in the organization.
2. Postpartum Care. The percentage of deliveries that had a postpartum visit between 7 and 84 days after delivery.

Strategies to help improve your prenatal and postpartum care measures:

• Facilitate rapid prenatal and postpartum appointments in your office
• If your practice does not provide prenatal or postpartum care, build relationships with obstetricians for warm handoffs
• Review your workflow for online scheduling (new pregnancy, routine, problem, etc.)
• Review and communicate the value added services available to members of NC Medicaid for expecting mothers
• Utilize NC Notify to receive updates on recent admissions/discharges to schedule follow up appointments
• Work with a South Piedmont AHEC Practice Support Coach

Regulatory Reminders – Medication Storage Safety

Medication storage safety is important in the practice to ensure medications are safe for patients and the opportunities for errors are decreased. It is important to have staff and providers on the same page and share in the responsibility of managing medications. As you review your current onsite medication management process, consider the following elements/recommendations:

• Regular checks for expiration dates – medication rotation is helpful to minimize waste
• Multiuse vials are clearly marked with the open date, expiration date (based on open date from the instructions for use) and initials.
• Labels are available online to help manage the dates and encourage compliance
• Temperature monitoring systems are in place for any refrigerated/frozen medications
• Documented checks should be available for review
• Electronic monitoring systems for 24/7 real-time monitoring are available - See the manufacturers recommendations for temperature excursions
• Thermometers should be calibrated to ensure they are reading the correct temperature
• Medications are appropriately secured away from patients paying particular attention to pediatric patient environments
• Look-alike and sound-alike medications are separated
• Samples are managed with the same care as all other medications in the practice
• Review your policy for documentation, expiration, storage, and actions for potential recalls
• Invite a South Piedmont Practice Support Coach for an onsite walkthrough to identify opportunities for improvement

Make It Actionable!   Review the practice policy and documentation of training of staff on proper medication storage. Update or create a checklist to include elements in your medication room that need to be verified to support patient safety.

Practice Management Academy

The next Practice Management Academy cohort will start accepting registrations on Monday, July 24th. The prior cohorts have filled up quickly so watch your email for a notification and bookmark  Southern Regional AHEC Practice Management Academy’s page.

OTC COVID-19 Test for Home Use Pharmacy POS Coverage

COVID 19 OTC Tests for home use are covered for full Medicaid enrollees through Sept. 30, 2024. The updated list of covered tests is located on the s NC Medicaid announcement. Please refer to the beneficiary’s health plan for effective dates, as dates could be different.

Update to Age Criteria for CPT Code 81528, Cologuard

Effective Jan. 1, 2023, the minimum age was adjusted from 50 years to 45 years for Cologuard (multi-target stool DNA-based colorectal screening). Cologuard is approved for male or female beneficiaries with an average risk of colorectal cancer once every three years. The full announcement and contraindications can be found on NC Medicaid. 

Enhanced Medical Home Payments Extended Through Sept. 30, 2023

Enhanced medical home payments of $20 per member per month (PMPM) for Advanced Medical Homes (AMHs) serving members eligible for Tailored Care Management (TCM) will continue through Sept. 30, 2023. These funds are continued to cover initial implementation time spent and costs incurred by primary care offices engaging with care managers serving beneficiaries eligible for TCM. Primary care offices are expected to respond to communications from Tailored Care Managers reaching out to the practice to support their patients. Review the full announcement for details.

What’s New with NCCARE360?

NCCARE360 is the first statewide coordinated care network that better connects individuals to local services and resources. In the NCCARE360 network, providers can electronically connect individuals and families who have unmet social needs to community resources. NCCARE360 also allows for easy feedback and follow-up to help close the care loop for individuals and families seeking help. Register to learn what’s new with NCCARE360. 

Free Educational Series: Diabetes Management in Primary Care

This three-part series is ideal for the practice team to address different aspects of primary care management of patients with diabetes. There is a focus on improving equity and patient outcomes. These sessions are held August 9th, 16th, and 23rd. Check out Northwest AHEC to learn more and register.

Sign Language Interpreter/Translator Directory

NC Medicaid offers an online directory for sign language interpreters. Review the directory if you are in need of assistance to support your practice.

South Piedmont AHEC Practice Support – Helping you meet the challenges!

In this time of great transition in health care practices need to position themselves for new payment models, incentive programs, and other health care reforms while refocusing on patient-centered care. South Piedmont AHEC is currently able to provide these direct, individualized services at no cost.

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