This Week in CHCACTion! June 7, 2016

June 7, 2016

Announcements

• Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell Trainings: Click here to learn about trainings in a variety of areas impacting FQHCs.
• Association of Clinicians for the Underserved: ACU’s 2016 Annual Conference registration is now open. Click here to learn more.
• Opioid Use Assistance:
  • SAMHSA has released a new pocket guide for health professionals, Medication-Assisted Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder. Click here to download your copy today!
  • The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) has announced a new toll-free number connecting residents seeking treatment and services for an opioid addiction to local walk-in assessment centers. Call 1-800-563-4086, 24 hours a day, to connect them or a loved one to a walk-in assessment center in their area. Click here for more information.
• Consultants Providing Direct TA to Grantees/Mock OSV: BPHC and MSCG are providing clarification regarding the “Mock OSV” policy reminder included in the September 2015 e-news. BPHC will not use MSCG contract funds to pay for consultants to conduct Mock OSVs or provide training/technical assistance on the OSV process. Also consultants who are contacted by a grantee or PCA to provide such services should clearly communicate that they are not representing BPHC or MSCG. Grantees and PCAs should first contact their BPHC Project Officer for assistance with the OSV self-assessment and/or questions regarding the OSV process.
• Congratulations to former CHCACTers Lucas Dieter, Claudine Constant and Tasheenah Brown! Lucas is now with the State of Rhode Island’s Office of Management and Budget; Claudine is with Health Equity Solutions; Tasheenah is with Aetna. Well wishes to all, and thanks for your contributions!

Trainings, Webinars & Conferences

• Please check our Calendar of Events for upcoming trainings!

Funding Opportunities

• Check out the CHCACT Funding Opportunities page here!
• NEW! The State of Connecticut has released its RFP for participating entities in the State Innovation Model (SIM) Medicaid Quality Improvement Shared Savings Program (MQISSP). This program is open to FQHCs and “advanced networks.” Learn more!
• The HIV/AIDS Bureau is pleased to announce a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for Leadership Training for People of Color living with HIV. Learn more!
• The Miscarriage Care Initiative is an effort by the Reproductive Health Access Project (RHAP) to expand access to evidence-based, patient-centered miscarriage care in primary care settings. Through the Miscarriage Care Initiative, five organizations will receive intensive support from RHAP to integrate and expand miscarriage treatment into a primary care practice site. Learn more!
• The RGK Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations in the general areas of education, community and health/medicine. These grants are not geographically-restricted and are awarded on an ongoing basis. Learn more!

Ask CHCACT!

“Ask CHCACT” features Outreach & Enrollment and other questions from health center staff, answered by your favorite CHCACT staff members! Send your questions to ask@chcact.org!

Arianne Cacciatore answers this week’s question:

Q:  When will consumers be informed if they are losing HUSKY coverage due to last year’s income level change? What should they do?

A: Last year, the Legislature reduced income limits for parents on HUSKY A from 201% of federal poverty level to 155% of federal poverty level. This change impacted approximately 20,000 parents. However, because of a federal law, those with income from work were able to keep their coverage for an extra year. That year ends on July 31, 2016.

Therefore, about 18,000 parents will be losing coverage on 7/31/16. Letters informing parents have recently been mailed. Those losing coverage are strongly encouraged to update their income/household information as soon as possible (but no later than 7/31). Doing so may enable them to stay on HUSKY (e.g., if their income was reduced or if there is an extra household member). If not, individuals should check with their employer about coverage; if it is not available and affordable, they should apply for a plan through Access Health CT.

More information is available here.

Upcoming CHCACT Meetings

Medicaid Outreach/CAC Meeting. The Medicaid Outreach/CAC meeting will be held on Friday, June 10, 2016 from 9 am – 2:30 pm at Generations Family Health Center, 40 Mansfield Avenue, Willimantic. For more information or to register, please contact Arianne Cacciatore.

SHAPE Learning Collaborative – Diabetes Self-Management Education Webinar. The SHAPE Learning Collaborative – Diabetes Self Management Education webinar will be held on Thursday, June 9th, 2016 from 12:15 pm to 1:00 pm. For registration information, please contact Greg Mankevich.

Community HealthCorps Monthly Member Meeting. The Community HealthCorps Monthly Member meeting will be held on Friday, June 24th, 2016 from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm as part of the Connecticut Multicultural Health Partnership Annual Meeting, which is at the Lyceum Resource and Conference Center, 227 Lawrence Street, Hartford. For more information, please contact Rashad Collins.

All CHCACT Staff can be reached by calling 860.667.7820.

This Week in Health Policy News

Here is a sampling of health policy news from around the state. If you see something in your local newspaper that you would like featured here in future weeks, please contact Deb Polun at dpolun@chcact.org. Check out all the Health Policy News from the past month here!

Featured Stories

6.3.16 CT NewsJunkie: Malloy Vetoes Six Bills, Parts of Budget (feat. CHCACT)
5.25.16 Hartford Business Journal: CT Health Centers Get $850K Break on Broadband Costs

State Health News
6.6.16 CT NewsJunkie: Advocate Calls for Straightforward Approach to Loss of Insurance Coverage
6.3.16 TrendCT: Pace of Opioid Overdose Deaths in CT Still Rising
6.3.16 CT Mirror: Malloy Guards Executive Authority With Three Vetoes
6.2.16 CT NewsJunkie: Malloy Signs 3D Mammography, Adjusts Budget Accordingly
5.31.16 CT NewsJunkie Op-Ed: Patient Engagement – The Key to Good Health
5.26.16 CT Mirror: State to Assist 18,000 Parents Losing Medicaid Coverage

ACA/Health Reform News
6.6.16 Hartford Business Journal: Health Insurers Ask for 2017 Rate Increases
6.2.16 CT Mirror: Consumer Group Demands Wade Recuse Herself on Cigna Merger
5.30.16 Hartford Business Journal: ConnectiCare’s Strategy Shift – Growing Consumer Focus
5.25.16 CT Mirror: State Signs off on Aetna-Humana Merger, But Other Hurdles Remain

Resources

CHCACT maintains and regularly updates resources on clinical issues, human resources, HIPAA, SNAP and more! Click here to check out CHCACT’s Resources!*

• The Connecticut Department of Public Health has new information about the Zika Virus on its web site, including symptoms and testing guidelines.
• Scope of Project Webpage: HRSA has released a new “Scope of Project” Page on the BPHC website. This page provides a “one-stop-shop” for Health Center Program Scope of Project and Change-in-Scope policy, process, and resources. View the new Scope of Project webpage.
• Capital Link Publications. As part of their assistance to health centers, Capital Link has developed a collection of resource publications to assist health centers in accomplishing specific tasks related to the capital development process. These publications are provided to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Primary Care Associations (PCAs) free of charge. Their resources, including publications, reports, and past webinars are available here.

* Some Resources are password-protected. If you would like a password for www.www.chcact.org, please contact Tasheenah Brown.

Events/Educational Opportunities