Once again, a new SARS-CoV-2 variant is likely to be the gift many did not want to receive from attending holiday gathering!

You may recall in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was frequent breaking news about each latest variant of the virus (remember Delta and Omicron?). Now that the worldwide public health emergencies have expired, detecting, monitoring, and responding to new variants has become more challenging. 

There are many challenges faced by practices and providers as they strive to ensure all children are fully immunized and protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. 

Effective Oct. 22, 2021, NC Medicaid-enrolled providers can bill code 99401 with HM modifier for telephone outreach to unvaccinated Medicaid beneficiaries. The goal of the outreach is to educate the beneficiaries on the vaccine and assist them in scheduling an appointment, ideally in the office where the outreach is originated.

With the anticipated approval for COVID-19 vaccines to be expanded to include younger children, now is a good time to review evidence-based tools and resources provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. You are a trusted source of information on this important topic, and it can be difficult sometimes to manage the mis-information that has many parents so concerned.  

For those serving NC Medicaid Direct beneficiaries, be on the lookout for a new primary care case management (PCCM) agreement from NC Carolina Community Care Networks within the next 1-2 weeks. 

2021 is the last year for eligible professionals to participate in the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive program, and October 31 is the deadline to submit your attestations! The North

On March 18, 2021 NC Department of Health and Human Services posted a factsheet in the Provider Playbook entitled Managed Care Eligibility for Newborns: What Providers Need to Know. Read important highlights below: