Practice Support Newsletter

February 2025 

Measure of the Month: American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlight these heart disease quick facts; in the United States:

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups.
• One person dies every 33 seconds from cardiovascular disease.
• In 2022, 702,880 people died from heart disease. That's the equivalent of 1 in every 5 deaths.
• Heart disease cost about $252.2 billion from 2019 to 2020. This includes the cost of health care services, medicines, and lost productivity.

They also have a long list of shareable tools to communicate to your patients' ways they can manage their heart health. These tools can work in tandem with professional medical care to support patients' health.

Strategies to manage/prevent heart disease can also include:

• Focusing on improving the following measures:

• Medical Assistance with Smoking and Tobacco Cessation
  
• Screening for High Blood Pressure and Follow-Up
  
• Controlling High Blood Pressure
• Medicare Wellness Visits
• Weight Assessment and Counseling for Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children/Adolescents

• Utilize your social media to spread the word. The NIH has great options for images.
• Work with a South Piedmont AHEC Coach to evaluate your workflow.

Coding Corner: G Codes for Vaccine Counseling  

NC Medicaid has recently added three new codes for vaccine counseling. Effective October 1, 2024, coverage for CPT code 99401 for COVID‐19 vaccine counseling ended. Providers should now use G0315 when counseling for COVID‐19 vaccine when the patient is under 21 years of age and the vaccine is not given on the same day. G0310 or G0312 may be used when counseling is provided for vaccines that that are due but not given on the same day as the counseling. The non‐facility rate for these codes is $30.77. If other vaccines are administered on the same day, but the counseled vaccine is not, don’t forget to add the 25 modifier to the counseling code. The medical record documentation for the counseling should include the name of the vaccine as well as documentation that counseling was provided. Information on these new codes may be found in this bulletin.

Regulatory Reminders: Emergency Preparedness for Office-Based Physicians

Emergency preparedness looks different based on the type of practice; while FQHC's have extensive requirements per CMS, small independent practices have fewer requirements. Hurricane Helene brought new attention to emergency preparedness. There are also lessons learned come from other events. There are tools to help your practice build a plan. The core elements of Emergency Preparedness includes: Risk Assessment, Communication Plan, Policies and Procedures and Training and Testing. The American Academy of Family Physicians has multiple tools for a practical approach to emergency management that can support a focus effort to being prepared. You can also work with a South Piedmont AHEC Coach to individualize the tools to meet your needs. 

7th Annual NC AHEC Statewide Celebration of Rural Health Nursing Conference: Bridging the Gaps to Improve Access to Care

As we continue to celebrate the unique role and essential service of nursing in rural healthcare, the NC AHEC Nurse Council welcomes you to join us for the 7th Annual NC AHEC Celebration of Rural Nursing Conference. This year we will address statewide healthcare network resources and pathways to improve access to care for your patients and families. 

This conference is designed for all nurses who are serving vulnerable populations in under-resourced and rural areas and those interested in healthcare prevention, primary care, school health and community health for all ages across the continuum of holistic care of integrated behavioral and physical health.

The conference includes nursing contact hours through Mountain Area Health Education Center. To learn more or register, visit the program page.

Children and Families Specialty Plan to Launch
in 2025

NC Medicaid has announced "Blue Cross Blue Shield
NC was selected to operate the Children and Families Specialty Plan (CFSP–a single, statewide NC Medicaid Managed Care plan designed to support Medicaid‐enrolled children, youth and families served by the child welfare system in receiving seamless, integrated and coordinated health care." The plan is scheduled to go live on December 1st, 2025. For more information, including the services covered, review the information from NC Medicaid. 

Security Risk Assessment

HealthIT.gov highlights "the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule requires that covered entities and its business associates conduct a risk assessment of their healthcare organization. A risk assessment helps your organization ensure it is compliant with HIPAA's administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. A risk assessment also helps reveal areas where your organization's protected health information (PHI) could be at risk. To learn more about the assessment process and how it benefits your organization, visit the Office for Civil Rights' official guidance." They offer free tools to ensure practices are in compliance with the assessment requirement. Reach out to a South Piedmont AHEC Coach if you would like assistance with the risk assessment.

Tailored Care Management Provider Manuals Updated

NC Medicaid has released updates to the January Tailored Care Management (TCM) Provider Manual. These updates aim to enhance clarity and provide flexibility for providers. The January Provider Manual update and summary of updates are available on the Tailored Care Management webpage under Provider Manual.

Mastering the Art of Payer Contracting NCMGMA Podcast 

In the latest episode of the NCMGMA Podcast, they tackle one of the most critical aspects of healthcare management: payer contracting. Doral Jacobsen, CEO of Prosper Beyond, who has spent years helping healthcare providers navigate the challenging waters of managed care contracts, shares her insights on the data transparency issues, the hard truths about payers, and some of the horror stories she's encountered when it comes to contracting.

South Piedmont AHEC Class Spotlight American Diabetes Association (ADA) Guidelines Update 2025

This knowledge‐based CPE activity will provide healthcare professionals with a better understanding of the 2025 ADA Guidelines and recent primary literature about medication regimens for patients with type 2 diabetes. It will enable them to make more informed, patient-centered decisions and recommendations in patients with type 2 diabetes. This is a live webinar offered February 20th from 6:30pm – 8:30pm. Credits are available. Click here to register and/or learn more.

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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