Updated COVID-19 Booster Becoming Available for Kids 5-11

October 13, 2022 – North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS)

Everyone 5 and older can now receive the updated COVID-19 booster, specifically made to protect against the latest COVID-19 variants. The new booster is available for kids 5 to 11 in North Carolina following the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation.

The updated booster is referred to as a bivalent vaccine, as it targets both the original coronavirus strain and the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants. As of mid-September, these variants made up approximately 80% of COVID-19 cases in North Carolina. Everyone 5 and older should get the updated COVID-19 booster two months after they finish their primary series or any booster dose.

For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, boosters, testing and treatments, or to find locations to get a COVID-19 and flu vaccine, visit MySpot.nc.gov or contact the North Carolina COVID-19 Vaccine Help Center by phone at 888-675-4567.

NCDHHS Under 5 COVID-19 Vaccine Updates

On the evening of June 1st, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) released an important email regarding ordering the under-five COVID-19 vaccine products. The email provides details on the roll out plan as well important dates and requirements.

Access the complete email here

Medicaid Webinar Series for Providers

Medicaid Webinar Series for Providers

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and North Carolina AHEC are offering two monthly evening webinar series to help prepare providers, practice managers, and quality managers for Medicaid Managed Care going live on July 1, 2021.

Hosted by Chief Medical Officer of the NC Division of Health Benefits Shannon Dowler, MD, the two series will feature changing subtopics on Medicaid Managed Care on the first Thursday of each month and clinical quality on the third Thursday of each month. The first series kicks off on October 1 with a high-level introduction to Medicaid Managed Care followed by the second series on October 15 to review pediatric immunization trends during COVID-19.

Thursday, October 1 | 5:30–6:30 PM ET
Better with Time: Medicaid Transformation State of Things
(Series continues the first Thursday of each month)

This webinar is hosted by Shannon Dowler, MD, Chief Medical Officer, NC Division of Health Benefits, and moderated by Hugh Tilson, Director, NC AHEC Program.

• Register for Medicaid Managed Care topics

Thursday, October 15 | 5:30–6:30 PM ET
Immunizations and Keeping Kids Well: Trends and COVID-19
(Series continues the third Thursday of each month)

This webinar is hosted by Shannon Dowler, MD, Chief Medical Officer, NC Division of Health Benefits, and Tom Wroth, MD, CEO, Community Care of North Carolina, and moderated by Hugh Tilson, Director of the NC AHEC Program.

• Register for Clinical Quality topics

Urgent Practice Data Survey: Week of July 20, 2020

Your response is needed!

Week of July 20, 2020

NCMGMA, NCMS, and Curi are working together to gather vital practice information from administrators and clinicians across North Carolina relative to the COVID-19 crisis.

To support this effort, we are continuing to send a brief e-survey every other week and we ask that you please complete this survey when you receive it in your inbox.

Take the survey now

Testimonial to the Importance of the Urgent Practice Data Survey
The Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services,
Dr. Mandy Cohen, MD, recognizes the importance of the Urgent Practice Data Survey. Click on this link to hear what she had to say about the survey.

About the NCMGMA, NCMS and Curi Survey
The same set of questions is emailed to our participant distribution list and posted to NCMGMA News every other Monday and the idea is to capture snapshots of North Carolina’s healthcare practices as we continue to move through the coronavirus pandemic. The information and data you share will be compiled and used anonymously to better understand the most acute and immediate needs, and to establish any trends to inform our policymakers on behalf of the physicians, PAs, practice administrators and the patients of North Carolina.

We know this is a stressful and uncertain time, but by taking less than 5 minutes to complete this survey, you are allowing us to better respond to and represent your needs. Please click the link above to take this short survey and help us work together to battle back against this healthcare crisis.

Thank you for your time and for your commitment to your communities. We’re in this together and are proud to support you and your practice through this tumultuous season.

– Your Colleagues at the NCMGMA, NCMS, and Curi

Urgent Practice Data Survey Reports
Please click on the links below to access the Urgent Practice Data Survey reports:

• Urgent Practice Data Survey – Summary Report
• Urgent Practice Data Survey – Trends Report
• Urgent Practice Data Survey – NC Practice Financial Report
• Urgent Practice Data Survey – Telehealth Data Summary Report
• Urgent Practice Data Survey – Reopening NC Healthcare Practice Report
• Urgent Practice Data Survey – Practice Well-being Report

Urgent Practice Data Survey: Week of June 22, 2020

Your response is needed!

Week of June 22, 2020

NCMGMA, NCMS, and Curi are working together to gather vital practice information from administrators and clinicians across North Carolina relative to the COVID-19 crisis.

To support this effort, we are continuing to send a brief e-survey every other week and we ask that you please complete this survey when you receive it in your inbox.

Take the survey now

Testimonial to the Importance of the Urgent Practice Data Survey
The Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services,
Dr. Mandy Cohen, MD, recognizes the importance of the Urgent Practice Data Survey. Click on this link to hear what she had to say about the survey.

About the NCMGMA, NCMS and Curi Survey
The same set of questions is emailed to our participant distribution list and posted to NCMGMA News every other Monday and the idea is to capture snapshots of North Carolina’s healthcare practices as we continue to move through the coronavirus pandemic. The information and data you share will be compiled and used anonymously to better understand the most acute and immediate needs, and to establish any trends to inform our policymakers and legislative initiatives on behalf of the physicians, PAs, practice administrators and the patients of North Carolina.

We know this is a stressful and uncertain time, but by taking less than 5 minutes to complete this survey, you are allowing us to better respond to and represent your needs. Please click the link above to take this short survey and help us work together to battle back against this healthcare crisis.

Thank you for your time and for your commitment to your communities. We’re in this together and are proud to support you and your practice through this tumultuous season.

– Your Colleagues at the NCMGMA, NCMS, and Curi

Urgent Practice Data Survey Reports
Please click on the links below to access the Urgent Practice Data Survey reports:

• Urgent Practice Data Survey – Summary Report
• Urgent Practice Data Survey – Trends Report
• Urgent Practice Data Survey – NC Practice Financial Report
• Urgent Practice Data Survey – Telehealth Data Summary Report
• Urgent Practice Data Survey – Reopening NC Healthcare Practice Report

Take action now: Tell Congress to extend Medicare Telehealth Waivers

Once the Secretary of Health & Human Services (HHS) lifts the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declaration, many of the telehealth flexibilities allowed during the PHE will end. Since declaring the end of a PHE is at the sole discretion of the Secretary, it is difficult to predict when he will exercise that authority. It is possible that he could end it before patients feel comfortable or safe seeking treatment in an office. To avoid a situation where providers can no longer treat patients via telehealth regardless of their location, Congress must act soon. MGMA drafted a template letter that members can send to their congressional representatives urging them to extend the Medicare telehealth flexibilities beyond the conclusion of the PHE. Since the letter is editable, we encourage members to include anecdotes on how telehealth flexibilities during the COVID-19 PHE have benefited their practices and their ability to treat patients. You can access the letter here or through our Contact Congress portal.

Updates from NC Medicaid Concerning COVID-19

The following are two pieces of information from NC Medicaid regarding COVID-19:

Suspending Copays on COVID-19 Related Services

NCDHHS is directing providers to stop collecting copayments from Medicaid and NC Health Choice beneficiaries on all COVID-19 related testing, services and treatments. Effective retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020, this suspension is required of states taking advantage of federal Medicaid funding available through the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed March 18, 2020. Providers who have already collected copays for COVID-19 related services should make every effort to return those payments to beneficiaries.

NC Medicaid will reimburse providers for lost copay revenue. The reimbursement method and timing will be announced in the future. Note that providers can continue to collect copays for non-COVID-19 related services.

A list of affected billing codes, direction about managing copays already collected, and other important information is included in SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #62: Clinical Policy Modifications – Suspending Copays on COVID-19-related Services.

Extending Due Dates for Credit Balance Quarterly Reports

NC Medicaid is extending the due date for March 31, 2020, credit balance reports by 90 days. Reports for March 31 and June 30 quarter ends will be due July 30, 2020. Refer to SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #61: Credit Balance Quarterly Reports Extension.

The COVID-19 Surveillance Network Needs You!

In order to show the effectiveness of the Governor’s Stay-at-Home order, the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Division of Public Health will need to be able to demonstrate the COVID-19 virus is not widely circulating. The Department is using its influenza surveillance strategy or Influenza-Like Illness Network (ILINet) as the most reasonable way to determine the virus’ spread. If you are in a medium to large primary care clinic or urgent care center and currently seeing patients, please consider joining this surveillance effort. There is particular need in Wake and Mecklenburg counties.

New ILINet providers will be asked to collect samples from patients to send to the State Laboratory of Public Health (SLPH) for influenza and SARS-CoV-2 testing. Samples would need to be collected from up to 10 patients with an influenza-like illness (fever >100F and cough or sore throat) and from 10 patients who do not meet influenza-like illness criteria (e.g. patients being seen for other reasons such as well child visits, chronic disease follow-up visits, non-respiratory illnesses, etc) each week. Swabs, shipping boxes and shipping labels are provided by SLPH.

All swabs will be tested for influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Please note that these samples are for surveillance purposes and have a longer turnaround time than samples sent to SLPH for diagnostic purposes. In situations where the result would change patient management, ILINet swabs should not be used and diagnostic testing should be ordered.

If your clinic can assist with this critical COVID-19 surveillance, please go to NCDHHS webpage and fill out the ILINet provider application at the bottom of the page. For any questions, please contact Anita Valiani at anita.valiani@dhhs.nc.gov or Erica Wilson at erica.wilson@dhhs.nc.gov.

Emergency Child Care for Essential Workers

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has partnered with the North Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) network to launch a hotline to provide child care options for children of critical workers who do not have access to typical care because of COVID-19 closures.

If you are an essential worker of COVID-19 Essential Businesses and Operations (as defined in the Governor’s Stay at Home Order) and are in need of emergency child care, call the hotline at 1-888-600-1685 Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. to receive information about local options for children from infants through age 12.

Essential workers who need financial assistance for emergency child care can complete the COVID-19 Parent Application for Financial Assistance for Emergency Child Care and submit it to their child care provider. Hard copies of this form are also available at child care facilities.

Governor’s Task Force Encourages North Carolinians to Increase Preparedness Measures for COVID-19

February 26, 2020

Governor Roy Cooper’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Task Force continues to prepare for the possibility of COVID-19 infections occurring in North Carolina and is encouraging businesses, schools, health care providers, communities and individuals to prepare as well. Currently, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated that Americans should be anticipating and preparing for the possibility of widespread COVID-19 in the United States. Since late January, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services(NCDHHS) and NC Emergency Management (NCEM) have been operating a team to coordinate efforts around the state’s response. In early February, Governor Cooper formalized this effort with the creation of the COVID-19 Task Force.

“NCDHHS has been coordinating with the CDC and state and local partners to prepare for COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak in China,” said Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer for NCDHHS. “We are asking North Carolinians to continue to plan ahead for the possibility of the spread of the infection, while the risk for North Carolina is currently low.”

NCDHHS and NCEM are working closely with local health departments, health care providers and others to quickly identify and respond to any potential isolated cases that might occur in the state and prepare North Carolinians to be ready in the event of more widespread, national COVID-19 transmission. The Task Force is developing response plans that address a range of possible scenarios. NCDHHS continues to host regular calls with local health providers and partners, develop and disseminate information and guidance and respond to questions from providers and communities.

“We have been working closely with our Public Health and Office of Emergency Medical Services partners to ensure our preparedness for all scenarios as it relates to COVID-19 infection,” said Director of Emergency Management Mike Sprayberry, who co-chairs the Governor’s Task Force with Dr. Tilson. “We would rather be over prepared to protect the health and well-being of North Carolinians.”

The following are common-sense measures all North Carolinians can take to prepare for potential widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the state:

Individuals, Families and Communities

• NCDHHS recommends everyone continue taking precautions to protect themselves and others from the spread of respiratory illnesses, which includes COVID-19.
  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water, and for at least 20 seconds each time.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are ill.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
  • Do not reuse tissue after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched.
• It is also good practice to start being more aware of the number of times a day your hands touch an object or hard surface and then touch your face without being washed. Limiting the exposure of your nose, mouth and eyes to unwashed hands can help to protect from the spread of all germs and illnesses.
• Have a plan in case you need to miss work or other responsibilities due to personal illness or to care for a sick family member.
• For pregnant women and children, review the information and guidance available on the CDC website.

Businesses and Employers

• Practice good hand hygiene and encourage your employees and patrons to take common-sense precautions to protect themselves from the spread of respiratory illnesses.
• Review your policies and procedures for remote or teleworking where possible.
  Cross-train employees for key functions so that daily schedules can continue relatively uninterrupted by potential employee absences.
• Review absenteeism policies to make sure employees are not being encouraged to come to work if they are sick.
• If you have not already, establish a relationship with your local health department and communicate with them if you have any questions or concerns about COVID-19.
• Look for more updates and guidance for businesses available on the CDC website.

Health Care Providers and Hospitals

• Review policies and procedures for infection prevention and mitigation, and make sure that all employees are aware of and following the appropriate steps.
• Consider how to maximize the use of telemedicine, nurse triage lines and other options to prevent sick people from coming to clinics and emergency rooms if they have mild illness and do not need treatment.
• Continue implementing the NCDHHS and CDC guidance for COVID-19 and continue working closely with your local health department and NCDHHS.
• Look for more updates and information for health care professionals on the CDC website.

College, Universities, K-12 Schools and Child Care Facilities

• Make sure all students, faculty and staff are aware of and practicing good hand hygiene and taking common-sense precautions to protect from the spread of respiratory illnesses.
• Review absenteeism policies and procedures to make sure students or children, faculty and staff are not being encouraged to attend or work if they are sick.
• If you have not already, establish a relationship with your local health department and communicate with them if you have any questions or concerns about COVID-19.
• Learn more about COVID-19 on the CDC website, and look for updates and information for schools, colleges and childcare.

No one group, ethnicity or population in the US is at a higher risk for acquiring COVID-19 infection than others. While some people may be worried or have concerns about COVID-19, it is important to not let fear and anxiety lead to social stigma towards friends, neighbors or members of the community. Treat all people with compassion and speak up if you hear others making statements that cause stigma against people in your community.

All North Carolinians can better prepare for COVID-19 by getting up-to-date information directly from reliable sources like NCDHHS and the CDC. The COVID-19 outbreak has been accompanied by a global flood of misinformation from unreliable sources. Be thoughtful about what you read or hear about the virus and make sure you are separating rumor from fact before you act.

For more information on COVID-19, please visit the CDC’s website at cdc.gov/coronavirus. North Carolina resources can be found on the Division of Public Health website at ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus.

If you have questions or concerns, call the COVID-19 Helpline toll free at 1-866-462-3821. To submit questions online, go to www.ncpoisoncontrol.org and select “chat.”