Ode to Joy

 

Pete Seeger 1919 - 2014

Meeting on Medicaid/Medicare Integrated Care canceled; to be rescheduled in the next 3 - 4 months

Snow Donuts

A Public Forum on Integrated Care for people eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare has been cancelled:

Dear Stakeholders,

Due to the current weather conditions and the forecast for the weather to decline tomorrow, MDCH has made the difficult decision to cancel the Integrated Care Implementation Forum scheduled tomorrow, January 28 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo.  The safety of attendees is our most important priority.

This forum will be rescheduled within the next 3 to 4 months at the same location.  Watch your e-mail in March for the rescheduled meeting date.

Thank you

Integrated Care Team

Here's why it has been cancelled from wunderground.com: 

Monday

Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid single digits and lows -8 to -12F.

Tuesday Partly cloudy skies. High 2F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.

CMS publishes new rules for Medicaid-funded Home and Community Based Services

CMS, (The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), the federal agency that regulates Medicaid, has published final rules on Home and Community Based Services (HCBS). The rules affecting people with developmental disabilities and the settings that may be eligible for continued HCBS funding remain controversial, but they are better than the rules proposed back in 2012.  Much of the responsibility for defining "community" settings that are eligible for funding Home and Community Based Services has been shifted back to the states, but they will require the approval by CMS of amendments to state plans.

We will all need to pay attention to Michigan's plans to implement the new CMS rules and make sure that everyone who wishes to have a say in how the State approaches new requirements is informed and ready to respond.

This is from the Michigan Department of Community Health:

CMS has placed links to several important items regarding the new rule defining HCBS settings at http://www.medicaid.gov/hcbs, including:

·         The text of the Final Rule
·         An Information Bulletin on the Final Rule
·         A press release announcing the Final Rule
·         Four factsheets:
o   An overview of the regulation
o   Changes to 1915 (c)
o   Changes to 1915 (i)
o   Summary of Key Provisions

The site also announces the dates and times of two Webinars open to the general public:
 

• January 23, 2014: 1:00pm - 3:00pm  Public Webinar on HCBS Final Rule
• January 30, 2014: 1:00pm - 3:00pm  (repeat) Public Webinar on HCBS Final Rule

Thank you,

Lori Mitchell
Community Practices and Innovations Section Secretary
Division of Quality Management & Planning
Bureau of Community Based Services
Department of Community Health
Lewis Cass Building, 5th Floor
Lansing, MI 48913
Telephone: (517) 335-3032
Fax: (517) 241-2969
Email: MitchellL10@michigan.gov

Public Forum on Integrated Care for people eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare

This is a notice from the Michigan Department of Community Health about a public forum on the integration of care for people eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. The state is implementing a plan approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. As far as I know, the details of the plan have not changed much from the plan described here. The plan would cover mental health services as well as medical care. It has an opt-out provision for beneficiaries who do not wish to participate. The plan is being implemented in a limited number of regions in the state that does not include the four counties in southeast Michigan - Washtenaw, Lenawee, Livingston, and Munroe Counties.

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Dear Stakeholder:

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) will be hosting a public forum on the state’s plan to integrate care for individuals who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid on January 28, 2014 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel and Suites, located at 100 W. Michigan Avenue in Kalamazoo.  The forum will be held in the Arcadia Ballroom located on the main level from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon EST.

MDCH is providing a conference line for interested stakeholders to participate by phone.  The conference line information is also posted on the Integrated Care website.

Call-in number: 888-363-4734
Access number: 4162210

There are 250 lines available on a first come first served basis.  We encourage organizations to listen in groups in order to maximize lines available for others.  If you get a message stating “Please try your call again later”, all lines are full.
  
Prior to the forum, the presentation will be available on the Integrated Care website which can be found at the following web address: http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,4612,7-132-2939__2939__2939-259203--,00.html

A local map to the Radisson Plaza Hotel and Suites can be found here: http://www.radisson.com/kalamazoo-hotel-mi-49007/mikalama/area/map

The address for personal GPS and online mapping systems is:

100 W. Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Parking is available in the hotel’s attached parking garage. Green parking passes will be available at the forum registration table to cover the cost of parking for participants.  When leaving the parking garage, enter your parking ticket into the machine followed by the green parking pass to avoid a parking fee.

Complimentary valet parking is available to those utilizing wheelchairs or with accessibility/mobility issues.

For interpreting services, or other accommodations at the forum, contact the Integrated Care Division at 517-241-4293.