More information may be found in AzHHA’s summary of the DAP 2022 Final Public Notice.
Legislative update – day 123 of session
There continue to be few reports on fiscal year 2021/2022 state budget meetings between House and Senate leadership and Governor Doug Ducey. At the same time, Capitol Insiders are hopeful an agreement will be reached and passed before Memorial Day weekend.
This week, the House of Representatives recessed for three days, and there has been little progress on passing bills in either chamber. See which bills have been signed into law and other bill status updates by visiting azhha.org/azhha_priority_and_key_legislation.
As a reminder, AzHHA’s next weekly legislative update is scheduled for Friday, May 21.
Adolescents ages 12-15 to begin receiving Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine after FDA expands EUA
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced, May 10, the expansion of its emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents ages 12 to 15. Following the FDA’s announcement, the Arizona Department of Health Services announced the availability of appointments and walk-ins for adolescents to receive the Pfizer vaccine at seven state-run sites across the state beginning Thursday, May 13. Parents or guardians may schedule an appointment by visiting podvaccine.azdhs.gov or calling 844-542-8201.
The FDA has updated the Pfizer vaccine-specific Fact Sheets for Healthcare Providers Administering the Vaccine and for Recipients and Caregivers with information to reflect the use of the vaccine in the adolescent population.
Working together: Forging the future of serious illness care
In collaboration with partners from California and Hawaii, AzHHA will hold a virtual summit, Working Together: Forging the Future of Serious Illness Care, on June 22 and 23. One of his year’s keynote speakers is Jennifer Moore Ballentine, MA, a long-time national palliative care advocate and educator who has served as executive director for the California State University Shiley Institute for Palliative Care since 2017. Her conference keynote will explore three “problems” of language in providing care for seriously ill patients and their caregivers: elderspeak, euphemisms and gender-based expression of illness. To register for the virtual event, click here or to view speaker profiles, click here.
Save the date - Webinar: A comprehensive review of price transparency
After more than a year of challenges, hospitals are now faced with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) requirement to publish standard charges for a minimum of 300 services to provide a shoppable experience for those seeking healthcare services. To help hospitals prepare and remain compliant, Healthcare Resource Group (HRG), an AzHHA Affiliated Partner, is offering AzHHA members a webinar on June from 12-1 p.m. which will review CMS regulations and what is required from hospitals. While reviewing strategies for selecting shoppable services, HRG Pros will also talk about risk areas that may impact the accuracy of reporting and how CMS is currently responding to providers that have not implemented the requirement. Registration for the webinar is coming soon.
Social determinants of health, AHCCS DAP milestone due May 14
A milestone for participation in the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Closed-Loop Referral Program Differential Adjusted Payment (DAP) initiative for 2022 is due May 14, 2021. This 1% DAP applies to behavioral health outpatient clinics, integrated clinics, community service agencies, independent substance abuse counselors, behavioral health therapeutic homes and rural substance abuse transitional agencies. To participate, the provider must submit a registration form and a SDOH Closed-Loop Referral system spreadsheet to Health Current at [email protected] by May 14, 2021. Templates for these documents are available here. Specific information about the requirements for each milestone may be found in the AHCCCS DAP 2022 Final Public Notice or AzHHA’s summary of the 2022 DAP initiatives. Contact Liz Lorenz, AzHHA director of policy, at [email protected] with any questions.
Upcoming Events
May 19 - Pediatric Readiness: Every Child, Every Day
This webinar—featuring remarks from Michael Warren, MD, MPH, FAAP, Associate Administrator, Maternal and Child Health, Health Resources and Services Administration—will provide an overview of the Pediatric Ready program and the National Pediatric Readiness Project assessment, which is open now. The event is a collaboration of EMSC, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, the Emergency Nurses Association and the National Association of State EMS Officials. Register here.
May 24 - Developing a Telemedicine Program
This course is ideal for individuals or groups who have some telehealth experience and are interested in expanding their services. It is also a great course for those new to telehealth who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the growing industry. The course fee is waived for Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Nevada residents. Register here.
May 25 – 2021 Arizona State of Reform Health Policy Conference
The 2021 Arizona State of Reform Health Policy Conference will foster a dialog about the opportunities and challenges facing one of the nation’s most dynamic states for healthcare. This conference brings together industry experts and state policymakers from across the state. Register here.
July 14 - 2021 Coding Clinic: Quarter 1 Updates
AzHHA Affiliated Partner, NJHA Healthcare Business Solutions, is offering member health information managers and coding specialists a series of coding webinars, 2021 Coding Clinic Updates - Everything You Really Need to Know held quarterly. The webinar series provides a concise overview of the current issue of Coding Clinic and allows participants an opportunity for discussion and Q&A. The second quarter session is scheduled July 14. Register here.
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