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Mental Health News

• Join DC Help Me Grow on Saturday July 13 from 10AM - 12PM for Books and Blocks at the Dorothy I. Height Neighborhood Library. Event will feature free developmental screenings, onsite activities for kids including games and interactive stories, activities to take home, and book giveaways. Read more: English | Spanish
• Read the new Department of Health Care Finance transmittal – Pediatric Mental Health and Maternal Depression Screening Coverage and Tools (appoved 05/13/19). This transmittal discusses behavioral health in primary care as well as referral and provider resources.
• Updated Perinatal Mental Health Resources
• DC-Approved Child Mental Health Screening Tools
• CDC's Autism Case Training: a free introductory course designed to help primary health care providers gain knowledge and skills to improve early identification of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and ensure timely and appropriate care.
• DC MAP (Mental health Access in Pediatrics) is a program aimed at improving mental health integration within pediatric primary care. The website offers links to consultation, training, referrals, education, and medication reviews.

Oral Health News

• Read the 2018 DHCF Oral Health Transmittal.
• Note on Billing for Fluoride Varnish. Since FY 2014, DC Medicaid primary care providers who have completed fluoride varnish training can bill the Fee-for-Service (FFS) Medicaid program and the Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) for fluoride varnish application on a child under 3 (three) years of age.  Currently, DC Medicaid primary care providers who are enrolled and trained by DC HealthCheck can bill FFS and the MCOs for the application of fluoride varnish using CDT code D1206 or CPT code 99188. When this policy was implemented in 2014, CDT code D1206 was the only procedure code for fluoride varnish application and since then CPT 99188 code was added to the fee schedule. 
  1. Effective March 1, 2018, DC Medicaid (FFS and the MCOs) will no longer reimburse primary care providers for fluoride varnish claims submitted using the CDT code D1206. Only fluoride varnish claims submitted by primary care providers using the CPT code 99188 will be processed and paid.
  2. All fluoride varnish claims received by primary care providers for visits that occurred before March 1, 2018 will be processed. However, any varnish claims received by primary care providers for a date service after March 1, 2018, will only be paid if the claim for fluoride varnish application is coded using the CPT code 99188.
• Oral Health Messaging Guide. The District of Columbia identified various barriers that prevent beneficiaries from accessing oral health services, including lack of oral health literacy and understanding on how to access oral health services. To help address this issue, DHCF compiled an oral health messaging guide, which participants of the Children’s Oral Health Initiative can use when developing materials or speaking with children and families enrolled in the DC Medicaid program.  The attached guide includes oral health messaging targeted to dental providers, primary care providers, and parents. The purpose of this guide to provide simple and effective oral health messaging to educate District of Columbia families about the importance of children’s oral health and regularly seeing their primary dental provider.  This messaging comes directly from the Maryland Oral Health Coalition’s Oral Health Campaign, which has been proven effective in increasing oral health literacy of low-income families.We encourage you to use the messaging featured in this guide when developing materials or talking points about oral health for District families.
• New ADA State Fact Sheets on Geographic Access to Dental Care. The American Dental Association (ADA) Health Policy Institute published one-page infographic for each state, including the District of Columbia, highlighting access to dental care for Medicaid beneficiaries. The District’s fact sheet highlights that 100% of publicly insured children live in areas where there is at least one Medicaid dentist per 2,000 publicly insured children within a 15-minute travel time. Click here to learn more.
• Oral Health Messaging Guide. The guide can be used when developing materials or speaking with children and families enrolled in DC Medicaid program and includes oral health messaging targeted to dental providers, primary care providers, and parents. The purpose of this guide to provide simple and effective oral health messaging to educate District of Columbia families about the importance of children’s oral health and regularly seeing their primary dental provider. 
  

Other News

• Highlighted resources: Please see these three important brochures which can assist your practice to increase and sustain high immunization coverage rates. Note that there are two types of Meningococcal vaccines provided through the VFC Program (MCV4 and MenB). While ACIP recommends MenB vaccination for certain risk groups, it also states that "all persons 16 through 18 years of age should be considered for MenB vaccine, except there is a specific contraindication." Healthcare providers are to initiate conversations with their teen patients about MenB vaccine availability, and the risk and benefits of MenB vaccination.

  Each patient-provider encounter is an opportunity to assess vaccine needs and immunize. Please make sure you are not missing vaccination opportunities for any of the recommended vaccines for all VFC-eligible children and your privately insured patients.  As always, screening for VFC-eligible must occur at every visit.

  • Developing an Immunization Culture in your Office
  • Top 10 Tips for HPV Vaccine Success
  • Serogroup B Meningococcal Vaccine (Men B): What You Need to Know
    
    
• The Child Health Advocacy Institute (CHAI) invites you to join them in celebrating Community Health Improvement June 3-7, 2019. We hope you’ll participate in the many programs designed to align with our community health priorities. Please join them in celebrating how they work with our community  to build healthier lives for children. We have over a dozen events planned for you (see flyer).
• Critical Measles News. CDC most recently reported there have been over 700 confirmed cases just this year. Measles is a highly contagious disease which can pose a serious threat to schools, families, and the community. DC Health is serious about preventing an outbreak in the District and will need schools and our education partners to play an active role in implementing preventative measures. This correspondence informs principals of the severity of measles, includes compliance rates, and provides guidance for communicating to parents and collaborating with their school nurse or immunization point of contact.
• Updated School Health Resources, including updated Universal Health Certificate and Oral Health Assessment forms.
• Better Sleep for Breastfeeding Mothers, Safer Sleep for Babies. Tips on how to realistically support tired and overwhelmed mothers to breastfeed safely.
• The Opioid Epidemic and Maternal Health: Three Opportunities for Change. Tips on making the most of every interaction with new mothers to discus opioid use disorder, from prenatal care to building postpartum supports.
• The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health/Got Transition with the University of California, San Francisco’s Adolescent and Young Adult Health National Resource Center created a toolkit titled Incorporating Health Care Transition Services into Preventive Care for Adolescents and Young Adults.
• The 21st Century Cures Act requires all Medicaid Managed Care network providers to enroll in State Medicaid programs by January 1, 2018. Section C.5.21.1.15 of your Managed Care contract with the Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) also requires network provider enrollment with the DC Medicaid program. Read the official transmittal here.
• DHCF and DOEE have jointly issued a letter on blood lead screening requirments in observation of Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.
• The Immigrant Child Health Toolkit was created by the members of the Immigrant Child Health Committee of the DC Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is intended for use by healthcare providers, social workers, and any others who care for immigrant children.
• www.mychildcaredc.org, a new child care search website from the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education that helps families discover child care options in one click! Share with your families by downloading the outreach toolkit.
• Read the DHCF transmittal on EPSDT Periodicity Schedule Updates and the Importance of Mental Health and Vision/Hearing Screenings.
• FDA & CDC Issue Blood Test Safety Alert for Certain Lead Tests Manufactured by Magellan Diagnostics. Read the advisory alert.
• New information to help District Medicaid providers comply with the Access to Contraception Amendment Act of 2015. Read the transmittal from DHCF.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created the Medicaid Provider Enrollment Requirements (MPE) Toolkit to update providers enrolling or re-enrolling in the Medicaid program.
• Do you need access to your students’ immunization records? Then you need the District of Columbia Immunization Information System (DOCIIS). To gain access, you can now complete the mandatory training online!
• State Strategies for Defining Medical Necessity for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs. This brief takes a fresh look at the current issues affecting the state EPSDT and CHIP officials who implement medical necessity policy, and looks ahead to new and emerging issues that may affect state EPSDT policy in years to come.
• See the new DC Medicaid HealthCheck Periodicity Schedules! (Health and Dental) and HealthCheck Brochure for Families (English and Spanish) | Read the official Transmittal describing the update.

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