The Northwest AHEC practice support team would like to thank you for allowing us to assist your team in meeting the challenges of primary care. In particular, we’d like to thank you for your participation in a statewide campaign called Heart Health Now (HHN!). Your efforts were critical to saving lives and improving clinical outcomes, especially for patients identified as high-risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality.  

Check out the Provider Playbook: Medicaid Managed Care page for some valuable information to help you in the transition to Medicaid Managed Care.  See the readiness resources below. Please review the updated materials to ensure you are ready for the July 1, 2021 launch. 

Are you planning on administering COVID-19 Vaccines in your office? 

NCDHHS has shared the Medicaid and NC Health Choice billing guidance for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines in two Special Bulletins (#147 and #148).  Please see some of the billing highlights and links to the bulletins below. 

What’s new and different in 2021? 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule on December 1st, 2020 that includes policy updates for Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), and other Medicare Part B issues, effective on or after January 1, 2021. 

Deadline Extended Until Monday February 1st, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET 

Please join NC Medicaid Division of Health Benefits Deputy Secretary Dave Richard, NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen M.D., Assistant Secretary for NC Medicaid Jay Ludlam and other senior leaders for a webinar on the state’s transition to Medicaid Managed Care.   

2021 begins the fifth year of the Quality Payment Program. While much remains the same, CMS is considering changes for the upcoming year that have implications for solo and small group practices. This webinar will discuss updates to the performance category weights and requirements, changes for third party intermediaries, COVID-19 flexibilities, and revisions to the performance threshold. Understanding these changes will enable you to begin preparing so you can succeed in Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in 2021 and beyond. This event will feature a panel of experts familiar with the Final Rule who can offer advice on how to prepare and answer your questions about how these changes will affect small practices, solo practitioners and practices in rural and medically underserved areas. Join this event to talk with the panelists about any questions you have on the Final Rule.

Participants will learn:

• Key changes in Year 5 of the MIPS program
• Practical tips for how small group practices can successfully respond to these adjustments
• How to access Free technical assistance resources available from CMS and a local Technical Assistance Contractor funded by CMS

This event is designed for:

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan Update

9th Annual Breastfeeding Forum: Practices for the Future will be held on March 31, 2021 - Live webinar only!

This one-day conference will focus on techniques to assist women with breastfeeding, and update care providers on breastfeeding techniques and tips to ensure a successful breastfeeding experience.