HEAL 22 Questions & Answers

Transcription

1 HEAL 22 Questions & Answers Q1: What is HEAL 22? A1: The New York State Office of the Health and Information Technology Transformation (OHITT) has contracted with Regional Extension Centers (RECs) to expand technical assistance services to Medicaid Health Homes to adopt and use health information technology and exchange to improve services for behavioral health. New York State passed the Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers Capital Grant Program in 2004 (HEAL NY) to implement 21 st century health information infrastructure to support the delivery of high quality care. HEAL 22 specifically provides technical support to adopt and use electronic health records (EHR) for behavioral health providers serving New York State Medicaid Health Homes. Q2: Who are eligible to receive services? A2: Providers of behavioral health participating in Medicaid Health Homes are eligible. The RECs will be receiving requests for services. Provider titles eligible include: Psychiatrist Physician Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Psychoanalyst Physician Assistant Registered Nurse / Licensed Practical Nurse Nurse Practitioner Case Manager / Case Coordinators Psychologist Q4: How much financial assistance will I receive? A4: Providers do not directly receive financial assistance. Support services are available for implementation and adoption of electronic health information systems and exchange. Please contact the RECs to make a request for services. Q5: What type of services will be provided by the RECs under HEAL 22? A5: Services include: Assist in the selection and implementation of EHRs Adoption and implementation support services, specifically Provide the providers / practice sites with Implementation and Adoption Support Services to help them become functional users of selected electronic health record and HIE. The support services will include, but are not limited to: Clinical and administrative workflow analysis and redesign; Project management services for EHR implementation and effective utilization; Provider and staff EHR/HIE training related to effective utilization of the EHR, including any required workflow redesign identified; eprescribing functionality as needed, and Capabilities to conduct HIE with a Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) or Qualified Entity (QE). Ensure connectivity:

2 For behavioral health providers to exchange care coordination documents and patient care plans (i.e. posting the care plan for other health home participants to access and being able to access care plans made available by other health home participants. Access, Training and Guidance on Use Closed loop laboratory ordering and reporting as deemed relevant and appropriate. When available through the RHIO, coordinate training and implementation for providers on using subscribe/notify altering for the patient population served; Ensure access to PSYCKES (an acronym for OMH systems tool: Psychiatric Services and Clinical Knowledge Enhancement System) data by guiding providers through the NYS Office of Mental Health enrollment process for PSYCKES; ensuring access is incorporated in EHR workflow; Ensure access to PNP data (NYS Bureau of Narcotics Controlled Substance Database); ensuring access is incorporated into EHR workflow. Consent Management Ensure behavioral health providers are aware of New York State laws and policies governing privacy and security and process for obtaining and documenting health home patient consent. Q6: What EHRs are covered? A6: Providers are responsible for covering the expense of all required hardware and software. Providers are encouraged to work with the REC to assess existing software or to select a product from a prereviewed set of vendors. Q7: Is there a list of software vendors and Electronic Health Record (EHR) products that meet HEAL 22 standards? A7: Both RECs are reviewing the EHRs for meeting the HEAL 22 requirements. A list of behavioral health (BH) will be posted on the RECs website once they are available. If a software vendor or product is not listed, this does not necessarily mean it does not meet HEAL 22 requirements. Please contact your Regional Extension Center (REC) for further discussion. Q7: Are the expenses for interfaces to the RHIO covered? A7: While support services to connect to the RHIO are covered, providers are responsible for paying the expense of all required hardware, software, and usage fees. Q8: Is there a minimum Medicaid encounters threshold to be eligible? A8: There are no thresholds for eligibility other than providers must be serving a Medicaid Health Home. Q9: When is the assistance available? A9: The RECs have been contracted to provide assistance from June 1, 2012 through November 15, Due to the short time period of the contract, please contact a REC representative as soon as possible to maximize the available assistance to you. Q10: Through HEAL 22, how many (number of) support agreements are anticipated? How much funding is available to assist Medicaid Health Homes? Q10: The contract allows for up 7640 behavioral health providers to receive technical assistance with a cap of 10 providers per site. Assistance will be provided based on eligibility of providers and determined with your area s representing REC.

3 Q11: Will there be any funds to help pay for the EHR software or connectivity to the Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO)? A11: Through HEAL 22, the State has contracted the RECs to provide only technical assistance. No direct funds from HEAL 22 will be used to purchase EHR software, interfaces, or pay RHIO membership fees. Q12: How do Meaningful Use incentives and HEAL 22 complement each other, or are they mutually exclusive? A12: Meaningful Use incentives are limited to Medicare and Medicaid primary care providers and limited specialties. HEAL 22 does not provide incentives. Providers within Medicaid Health Homes that may not have qualified for Meaningful Use incentives were unlikely to have received federally subsidized technical assistance through a REC. With HEAL 22, these providers may now receive technical assistance from the RECs. Q13: How were the functional requirements in Phase II set? A13: The Phase II functional requirement of go-live and/or upgrade on an EHR was determined by the NYS DOH. Q14: Who should apply for HEAL22? Will Health Home-level organizations apply on behalf of their providers to adopt and use behavioral health EHRs, or may providers apply directly? A14: RECs will contract directly with practices and conduct strategic planning and coordination with Health Homes to help maximize available assistance. Q15: Are Health Homes expected to utilize a single unified EHR? A15: No. Each Health Home and its partners will decide which EHR works best for their settings and needs. The RECs are available to assist in selection and adoption with a focus on use in behavioral health settings. RECs will include on their websites a list of behavioral health EHR software products and vendors that meet the capabilities required for participation in health information exchange and care coordination. Q16: Are EHR software products that have been certified for Meaningful Use eligible for adoption/use assistance through HEAL 22? A16: EHR products already certified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Meaningful Use will be eligible for adoption and use. In addition, the RECs will identify software products that are capable of meeting Phase 2 and 3 requirements for HEAL 22. Q17: Are practices still eligible for HEAL 22 assistance if an EHR is already implemented? A17: Practices that have already gone-live on an EHR are still eligible to receive technical assistance through the RECs, either directly or as a sub-recipient for upgrading and use of the EHRs for information exchange and other care coordination activities within Medicaid Health Homes. Q18: Are you considering extension of Medical EHRs to support Behavioral Health or are you assuming that Medical and Behavioral Health EHRs will be different packages? A18: If your practice has not yet adopted an EHR, the RECs will assist in the selection. If your practice already has an EHR for medical care, the RECs will assess the ability of the existing EHR for meeting Phase 3 of HEAL 22 requirements. Each EHR systems will be reviewed by the RECs for meeting

4 HEAL22 guidelines e.g., EHR software with behavioral health component and have the capabilities for health information exchange. Some commercial solutions already have extended a behavioral health component in addition to its primary healthcare functionalities. Other solutions may address the behavioral health component through further development "in-house" and/or by vendors, which may also meet the requirements of the Program. Though it is the preference of the RECs to utilize an EHR system certified by the ONC, it is not a requirement. The integration of software products between medical and behavioral components is not covered by HEAL 22. Q19: Are agencies that provide care management services through the auspices of a Medicaid Health Home but are unlicensed mental health providers, e.g., providers of services to the HIV positive population, eligible? A19: The goal of HEAL 22 is to assist in the adoption and implementation of EHRs for improving care coordination and information exchange. If the providers are part of the behavioral care team in the Medicaid Health Homes and hold one of the listed roles, they may be eligible for technical assistance from RECs. Cases will be reviewed individually. For example, some behavioral change agents (i.e., Intensive Care Managers, Certified Substance Abuse Counselors) fit within the HEAL22 Program. Q20: Will the RECs be directly providing technical assistance or can organizations with capacity to provide their own technical assistance receive funds as sub-recipients? A20: Each application will be reviewed to determine whether the practice has the capacity or capability to provide the necessary technical assistance, training, documentation required to meet the HEAL 22 phases. In cases where organizations have their own IT and training staff or consultants, RECs will establish a sub-recipient contract stipulating that the practice will conduct those activities. In cases where practices do not have their own staffing or appropriate consultants, RECs will arrange to have a third party consultant provide technical assistance. The evaluation of sub-recipients will be conducted by the RECs. Please contact your REC to discuss further. Q21: How much funding will be granted to REC sub-recipients to assist BH clinics/practices? A21: RECs will discuss with potential sub-recipients their capabilities and deliverables under the grant. The amount funding will depend on this review. Q22: How does HEAL 22 align with the federal behavioral health standards for information technology use and exchange through SAMSA? A22: The RECs will be following State and Federal legislation and policies for information technology adoption, use, and exchange standards. The State has been reviewing and incorporating the Federal standards as they apply to New York. Q23: How do the RECs anticipate this initiative will intersect with or support the various HIT investments anticipated by the pending 1115 Waiver? A23: Though Governor Cuomo announced in June 2012 that New York requested a federal waiver to invest $10 Billion in Medicaid Redesign Team savings to transform the State's health care system, the specifics of the funding has yet to be established. HEAL 22 funding and activities do not depend on the approval of 1115.

5 Q24: When and where will the HEAL 22 information be shared? A24: Information on HEAL 22 is available immediately. The State Department of Health and the RECs have posted the most current information regarding HEAL 22 on their websites, along with contact information. Should you have additional questions or require additional information, please contact your REC. For New York City, go to: Contact: Sophy Yem For areas outside of New York City, go to: Contact: Tom Uttaro