DHCF Unveils Reimbursement Rates for New Behavioral Health Integration Services
Last December, the DC Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) announced reimbursement rates for two new services that integrate behavioral health care with physical health care: Interprofessional Consultations and Collaborative Care. The rates for both services are based on an ongoing behavioral health rate study between the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) and DHCF and are included in the Physician Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2024.
Integrated Care DC: Advancing Person-Centered Healthcare in Year 3
Integrated Care DC’s new At-A-Glance reports that practices that engaged in at least six months of coaching during the past year moved to more advanced levels of integration compared to a year earlier, with two-thirds of the practices strengthening their use of quality metrics for program improvement. Since January 2021, more than 500 providers have joined the learning community’s live and on-demand webinars and in-person Managed Care Readiness Workshop. Based on feedback from participants, Integrated Care DC is launching several new learning collaboratives and webinar series this year to help practices enhance clinical service delivery models and prepare for managed care, including understanding managed care contracts, implementing population health tools, and improving business practices.
Addressing Cardiovascular Health through Value-Based Payment Models
With heart disease still the leading cause of death in the District of Columbia, February’s American Heart Month and Black History Month are timely reminders of the need to improve cardiovascular health and related disparities in risk factors, treatment, and outcomes. Approaches that advance whole-person, coordinated care, such as value-based payment (VBP) models, hold promise for preventing and managing heart conditions. A 2022 white paper by the American Heart Association (AHA) and Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, based on Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)-implemented VBP models, concludes that VBP is an important pathway for improving heart health. AHA’s 2023 policy statement also offers clinicians who treat cardiovascular disease recommended best practices for implementing VBP programs and measuring their impact.
How can you get started? Request an Integrated Care DC coach to help you assess your current practices and implement new strategies.
Elevate Patient Care: Efficiency through Image Exchange Collaboration in Healthcare
Image Exchange, a new tool from CRISP DC, enables users to share patient diagnostic images with other healthcare organizations through the Health Information Exchange (HIE) Web Portal or through the In Context Application integrated within the user’s electronic health record (EHR). The centralized platform offers CRISP DC users faster access to high-quality imaging data while limiting patient exposure to unnecessary duplicate imaging studies and radiation.
Learn more about the new tool at CRISP DC’s February 13 webinar on Efficiency Redefined: Image Exchange through the HIE Portal webinar.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, February, 13 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Efficiency Redefined: Image Exchange through the HIE Portal
Speaker: Francesca Charles, Reporting & Analytics Coordinator
Wednesday, February, 14 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm
CRISP DC – Consent Tool
Speaker: Abby Lutz, CRISP DC
Wednesday, February, 15 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm
CRISP DC Webinar Series: Advance Care Planning
Speaker: Corey Main, Account Manager at CRISP DC
Wednesday, February, 28 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm
DC Provider Directory Workflow Overview
Speakers: Priya Byati, Program Coordinator at CRISP DC, Christal Forte, Project Intern at CRISP DC, and Victor Chatain, Client Account Management Senior Director at careMESH
If you missed any of our live webinars, you can still catch up by watching recordings on-demand in the Learning Library.
Announcements
The Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) is in the final stretch of the Medicaid Renewal process, after which the regular process resumes. To minimize disruptions in coverage, DHCF is reaching out to providers and beneficiaries, including hosting regular trainings and community meetings. Providers play a crucial role in reminding beneficiaries to promptly complete and return their renewal packets. Let’s work together to keep everyone covered and informed. For details and assistance, visit the Medicaid Renewal website or email [email protected].
Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings
DHCF and DBH host regular stakeholder meetings to share information, solicit feedback, and offer training opportunities.
The HIE Policy Board meeting dates for 2024 are:
- Thursday, April 18, 2024
- Thursday, July 18, 2024
- Thursday, October 17, 2024
SAMHSA Fentanyl Awareness Youth Challenge Deadline Approaching
Do work with youth in your practice? The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) invites U.S. youth aged 14–18 to submit innovative ideas for a community strategy to raise awareness and educate their peers about the dangers of fentanyl. With drug overdose deaths rising, especially among adolescents, their ideas could help make a difference in our community. Encourage the youth you serve to submit their ideas. The submission period is open until February 26, 2024, at 6 p.m. ET. Visit Challenge.Gov for details and submission guidelines.
Is Your Practice Ready?
Integrating whole-person care has improved patient outcomes and increased beneficiary and provider satisfaction. Integrated Care DC will help ensure you have the infrastructure, knowledge, and tools to deliver high-value patient care.
Join Integrated Care DC now:
- Request practice coaching for tailored, site-specific support to achieve your integrated care goals.
- Visit our Learning Library to access on-demand videos, podcasts, tools, success stories, and more.
- Subscribe to our newsletter for events, resources, and program updates.
- Register for live webinars to learn and share best practices and earn continuing education credits.
Dive into a Topic
Behavioral Health | Econsult/Telehealth | Screening and/or Assessment | HIE | Care Team Optimization | MAT | COVID-19 | Patient Engagement | Stigma Abatement | Substance/OUD
We now publish on the first Tuesday of the month. Check out our previous newsletters here. If you have content or comments for our monthly newsletter, we want to hear from you. Please send us an email at: [email protected]