URGENT
INFORMATIONAL NOTICE: This notice is to clarify the status of
the State of Illinois’ Primary Care Case Management (PCCM) Program, Illinois
Health Connect, in light of the recent and upcoming healthcare changes within
the Medicaid program.
Illinois
Health Connect (IHC) is not ending in October 2013.
IHC
will continue to operate as a statewide mandatory health plan choice for those
individuals that are not required to participate in an Integrated Care Plan
(ICP), Medicaid Medicare Alignment Initiative (MMAI), or a Care Coordination
Entity (CCE). As Illinois expands its care coordination programs, the
counties where IHC operates may change. If such a change does occur,
Healthcare and Family Services will release an official notice to
providers. The IHC Helpline continues to be a valuable resource to
Recipients and Providers. It is available Monday through Friday
8:00am-7:00pm by calling 1-877-912-1999 (TTY: 1-866-565-8577. Important
program information and resources are also available on the IHC website: www.illinoishealthconnect.com .
For
more information on Care Coordination Expansion, please refer to the May 15,
2013 HFS Provider Notice: http://hfs.illinois.gov/assets/051513n.pdf
For
more information on CCE implementation geographic rollout, please visit the HFS
Care Coordination webpage: http://www2.illinois.gov/hfs/PublicInvolvement/cc/Pages/default.aspx
2013 EHR Incentive
Attestation Launch
The
revised implementation date for accepting
2013 EHR Incentive attestations for eligible professionals and hospitals with
the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services will be November 18,
2013. Additional notices will be sent and the
department’s EHR website will be updated with 2013 program materials very
soon.
EHR
Provider Incentive Payment program questions and concerns can be submitted by
email to hfs.ehrincentive@illinois.gov
or by contacting one of the Regional Extension Centers listed below.
The
Regional Extension Centers are designed to help providers receive subsidized or
free services to achieve Meaningful Use of electronic health records (EHRs).
Illinois Health Information Technology
Extension Center Collaborative Web site (Statewide
Consortium)
Chicago
Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center Web site (Chicago
Consortium)
About Healthy Beginnings
for Babies:
Regular well-baby check-ups during the first year of life are important to a
child’s growth and long-term health. Yet, too many babies in the U.S . do not
receive all the check-ups and appropriate vaccinations. In response to this
important public health issue, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies
Coalition, in partnership with Merck, and the National Medical Association, has
created Healthy Beginnings for Babies. Healthy Beginnings for Babies,
launching as a pilot program with community partners in Illinois, Florida and
Pennsylvania, aims to increase well-baby pediatric visits and vaccinations
during the first year of life. To help mothers prepare for their
well-baby visits, families will receive a resource guide that contains some
information on what to expect at each visit and suggestions for questions to ask
their health prof essional. It is the hope that Healthy Beginnings for Babies
will spark efforts to help children get a healthy start in life.
The EverThrive Illinois provides free Healthy Beginnings for Babies guides and
posters. For more information, call Sheila Sanders at 773-651-0520
or
e-mail us at ssanders@ilmaternal.org.
You may also visit our website at www.ilmaternal.org.
