Navigator - Provider Newsletter from Colorado Access

Do you know of a provider who would be a good fit for the Health First Colorado network? Invite them to enroll now! All interested providers can find out more information or enroll here or call the Health First Colorado Provider Services team at
844-235-2387, option 2, then option 5. If you are a current provider contracted with Health First Colorado, you do not need to re-enroll.

As a Health First Colorado provider, you can enjoy these benefits:

Fast Payment: Health First Colorado pays faster than private payers, with claims paid weekly and deposited directly into a business account.
Enrollment is Quick and Easy: Online enrollment means you can become a provider in just a few weeks.
Quick Customer Service: The Health First Colorado Provider Services Call Center answers calls in less than two minutes on average, and regional provider field representatives are available to assist you with more complex questions.
Customize Your Patient Experience: As a Health First Colorado provider, you have full control of the number of Health First Colorado patients you see, and whether or not your practice is published in the Health First Colorado online Provider Directory.

We released our new directory on Monday, September 28th. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, you can do so here, or by visiting coaccess.com. The upgrades include searching by behavioral health subspecialty, and comparing up to four different providers at one time! You’ll also find many new filters and sorting options to help refine search options, like ADA accessibility and telehealth services.

Check out the new directory on our provider portal or on our website at coaccess.com.

At a recent Colorado Access Provider Resource Group meeting, we discussed COVID-19 guidance as it relates to the pediatric population. The presentation featured an overview of current guidelines by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) as well as a short presentation from one of our pediatric practices to highlight current innovations they have developed to address the ever-changing guidance during this COVID-19 pandemic. Check out the presentation here here.

Some of our community partners are offering trainings this month. Please see below for more information and to sign up:

Integrated Behavioral Health Team Learning Community

Join integrated behavioral health colleagues for a learning collaborative each month to talk about challenges and solutions that pertain to primary care pediatrics. Meetings are held on the third Friday of every month from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The first meeting will be held on November 20, 2020, and the topic is “Integrated Behavioral Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic.” This series is provided by Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access Program. Register here.

COVID-19 Vaccination Informational Training

VIRTUAL The Clinical Edge- COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy—Strategies to Enhance Vaccine Acceptance

Thursday, November 19, 2020, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Learn more and register here. This training is sponsored by the CU School of Medicine, specifically The Behavioral Health and Wellness Program is offering upcoming training slots at no cost to community providers. Space is limited. Please contact Amy Hansen at amy.l.hansen@cuanschutz.edu if you have any questions.

Coloradans can now sign up for a health insurance plan and apply for financial help through Connect for Health Colorado through January 15, 2021. (But those losing job-based health insurance and experiencing other Life Change Events may have 60 days to enroll).

With the COVID-19 pandemic altering lives in so many ways, it is especially important to make sure as many Coloradans have as much coverage as possible. Please share materials from Connect for Health Colorado with the communities you serve to help increase access to affordable health insurance and get Colorado covered for the year! Order materials for no cost by visiting the Online Store and creating an account or logging in.

Community Events

Commitment to Care: A City of Aurora Food Access Initiative
The Commitment to Care initiative, a partnership between the city of Aurora and local nonprofit organizations, provides food and resources to the community in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Seven food access programs welcome all Aurora community members. There is no cost for food or resources. Find full program details here.

Aurora Day of Giving
Once a month mobile food distribution event. Food for 1,500 families, along with pet food and baby supplies, is available at each event.

All events begin at 10 a.m.
November 21st
December 19th

Gateway High School
1300 S. Sable Blvd.
Overland High School
12400 E. Jewell Ave.
Town Center of Aurora
(in front of JC Penney)
14200 E. Alameda Ave.

Questions & volunteer opportunities: 303-739-7281 or auroragov.org/mobilefoodpantry communityrel@auroragov.org

Food Bank of the Rockies
The mobile food pantry, formerly distributed from the Richard T. Castro Center parking lot, has moved to Empower Field for easier accessibility. Everyone is welcome, no one is turned away, and there is free food for all people who need it.

Empower Field at Mile High
1701 Bryant St.,
Denver, CO 80204

Questions & volunteer opportunities: foodbankrockies.org

If you have an upcoming community event that you'd like us to share, please email us.

Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) is a federal mandate that serves as a safety net for all children who have Medicaid, but especially children/youth with special health care needs. It’s essentially an “a la carte” menu of services that children and their families can access to supplement the benefits they typically use. We’ve created two initiatives to help promote EPSDT program adoption.

The first initiative targets newly enrolled EPSDT members to inform them of services covered by Health First Colorado. The second initiative targets members who are overdue for their well check to encourage them to use their free prevention services. Both programs utilize a multimodal approach to outreach members through direct mail and digital engagement communication channels. The target population for these programs has been split into two groups – members ages 0-17 and then members ages 18-20.

Direct Mail Component

Mailers are sent each month for each EPSDT initiative. The well check mailers are sent to those who have not received a well check in the last 12 months. It also educates members of the benefits of getting themselves, and/or their children a well check each year. The mailer for newly enrolled members educates members of the EPSDT-specific benefits that is a benefit with Health First Colorado.

Digital Engagement Component

We developed an EPSDT digital engagement program that went live October 26, 2020. Messaging for this program mimics the direct mailers but utilizes interactive voice recognition (IVR) and SMS messaging. While most language and target populations are the same, the well check digital engagement program also includes our Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) HMO membership.

The flu season is now upon us and we are making efforts to remind members about the importance of getting a flu shot, especially this year during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have developed a program to target our entire membership regarding flu prevention. Messaging includes tips on flu prevention, where to get a flu shot, and the importance of flu shots, especially for those who are at a high risk for COVID-19. We also encourage you to share information with your patients about the flu, COVID-19, and well checks. It’s important to remind them that prevention methods are a great way to keep themselves, and their families, healthy. Our flu/COVID-19 digital engagement program launched at the end of October and reminds members to contact their doctor for more information. You may see an increase in questions about the flu and/or COVID-19 over the next few months.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has put together an immunization toolkit to help communicate the importance of immunizations. This online toolkit includes:

Flyers in English and Spanish that you can print out at a home or office and co-brand if you want to add your organization’s logo next to the CDPHE logo.
Key messages you can use for electronic newsletters or other communications with your communities.
Social media posts, in English and Spanish, and graphics you can use on your organization’s social media accounts.

Websites that provide consumer-friendly information on vaccines in English and Spanish:

Flu:
fluvaxcolorado.org/
vacunagripecolorado.org/

MMR:
mmrvaxcolorado.org/
vacunammrcolorado.org/

COVID-19 testing sites:
https://www.211colorado.org/covid-19/

Local public health agency links to where you can get tested in your county: https://www.tchd.org/827/Free-COVID-19-Testing-Sites, https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/covid-19/recovery-guidance/testing.html

Changes to Authorization Procedures for Outpatient Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy – CHP+ HMO and CHP+ SMCN only

Starting November 1, 2020, Colorado Access is authorizing outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy in increments of 1-20 visits per authorization. If additional services are needed beyond 20 visits, please submit a request for additional services. Per the benefit plan and the member handbook(s), authorizations for each service type cannot exceed 30 visits per calendar year for CHP+ SMCN and 40 visits per calendar year for CHP+ HMO.

Research Study Opportunity

Parents for Children’s Mental Health is conducting a research study and looking for participants. They are looking for primary care providers who see patients between the ages of 10 to 24 and serve a high Medicaid population (greater than 40%) to participate in this 12-month research study.

The purpose is to understand your perspectives on implementing a youth suicide care pathway in a primary care setting. Participants in the study receive free training and technical support for brief interventions to keep patients safe and out of the emergency department until they can get ongoing behavioral health support.

As a participant, you will be required to:

Participate in a one-time consultation through Zoom, lasting one hour
Participate in two trainings through Zoom, lasting one hour
Complete four brief surveys about your experience. You’ll receive a $10 gift card for completing these surveys
Document suicide screening and risk assessment outcomes, completion of safety planning, means restriction, referral process, and follow up

A selection of participants will be invited to participate in a brief interview about their experience. Participants will receive a $25 gift card for participation.

This study is important because suicides is the second leading cause of death among Colorado youth between ages 10 to 24. One in seven high school students in Colorado report that they seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months, and one out of 15 Colorado high school students made an attempt within the past 12 months. If you have questions about this study, please contact Erin Bishop at erin.bishop@childrenscolorado.org.

Safety in the Storm

Mile High Behavioral Healthcare’s street outreach team supports people experiencing homelessness. They do this by visiting camps, offering assistance, and providing vital resources and supplies.

Everyone should have access to a safe place to sleep at night, especially when the weather puts them at risk. The street outreach team develops partnerships to accomplish this. This includes a strong relationship with the Aurora Community Outreach Team (ACOT). ACOT collaborates with partners who are mobilized to bring services and access to safe shelter directly to those who are experiencing homelessness. ACOT partners include:

Aurora Police Department
Aurora Fire Department
Aurora Community of Faith
Aurora Mental Health Center
Aurora Warms the Night
City of Aurora - Neighborhood Services
Colfax Community Network
Mile High Behavioral Healthcare/Comitis Crisis Center

ACOT’s outreach van is staffed with two Aurora fire department paramedics, a licensed therapist from Aurora Mental Health Center, an outreach case manager from Colfax Community Network, and two crisis intervention team-trained police officers. When temperatures hit below 20 degrees or if there is substantial amounts of snow predicted, ACOT finds individuals experiencing homelessness who may not be able to access local resources, offers them assistance, and helps them travel to a safe place.

Individuals who accept assistance are triaged on the van for any immediate concerns (physical or psychological) and transported to the local Comitis shelter or an overflow shelter in the community. Those who refuse assistance are given a food packet, blanket, cold weather essentials (gloves, hat etc.), and a resource card.

All individuals contacted by ACOT members are followed up with and contacted by a member of Aurora Mental Health Center’s PATH (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness) team. PATH operates through a government funded grant, providing connection to potential resources for homeless individuals to gain access to both temporary and permanent housing.

Since 2013, ACOT has provided safety, respite, and hope to many of Aurora’s most vulnerable people. Through vested partnerships and community support, the work of ACOT will continue into the future. You can learn more and contact the team here.

COVID-19 Crisis Counseling

The Colorado Spirit Crisis Counseling Program offers community-based crisis counseling and support to individuals who have been impacted by COVID-19. If you know someone who is experiencing distress, anxiety, worry, hopelessness or need additional support to cope with the current pandemic, have them call 720-410-7108 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Services are offered in both English and Spanish. If you have any questions, please contact Bianca Munoz at biancam@serviciosdelaraza.org.