NYS DOH Responds to COVID-19 with Guidance to Medicaid Providers

Posted on by SAE
Medicaid providers serving the most indigent and vulnerable populations want to stay connected and helpful to their clients. With COVID-19, providers may struggle with multiple concerns of safety for their clients, their staff and the organization’s operational function as essential response units. Fears of COVID-19 may increase psychiatric symptoms for individuals who experience depressive, anxiety, delusional, obsessive compulsive, post traumatic stress, and eating disorders. For providers who offer services for Health Homes (HH), Care Coordination (CC) and Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), caring for consumers with underlying chronic diseases or autoimmune disorders, this is a worrying time. 
“In lieu of face-to-face contact, providers may utilize telephonic or telehealth following applicable NYS Telehealth Guidance.”
Criteria for screening members prior to conducting a Face-to-Face Visit 
While some HCBS can be delivered effective via telehealth, in certain instances, face-to-face contact may still be clinically indicated. Before face-to-face activities, the provider should ask the member and/or their parent, guardian, legally authorized representative the following questions:
  1. Ask whether the child/youth has a fever, cough or shortness of breath.
  2. Ask the member, “Have you, or has someone with whom you have had close physical contact, traveled out of the United States within the last 14 days?”
  3. (If yes) “To which countries did you/your contact, travel?” For updated information on affected countries, visit this link.
  4. Ask the member, “Within the last 14 days, have you had contact with any person(s) under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19, OR with any person(s) known to have COVID19?”
If the member screens positive in response to any of these questions, the HCBS staff should ensure that the member has been referred to the appropriate health care provider and coordinate next steps with the child/youth, their parent, guardian or legally authorized representative, and their public health/primary care provider.
View the recent COVID-19 Guidance Updates for Health Homes and HCBS from NYS DOH: