Resources and Guidance for Those Impacted by Change Healthcare Cyberattack

 

The unprecedented February 2024 cyber-attack to Change Healthcare, a division of United Healthcare, has caused significant impacts to physicians and other health systems across NC. Your NCMS Board of Directors discussed these impacts extensively during their most recent meeting this past Saturday.

NCMS staff have worked to stay abreast of the evolution of this massive data breach and the systems that many of our practices rely upon for timely payment and cashflow. We have participated in AMA calls with the leaders of United Healthcare and Optum Health to get regular updates on when to expect these systems to become operable again.

In the meantime, practices across NC have felt irreparable harm to their cashflow processes. Many have even had to resort to taking out loans that will now cost them interest even as they are able to recoup their reimbursements over time. NCMS has taken steps to educate the NC Department of Insurance on these and other impacts from this event.

United Healthcare has reached out to NCMS with the following resources and guidance to assist you during this challenging time:

  • Timing Updates: For current updates on the timeline to restore Change Healthcare systems for pharmacy services, payments, and medical claims, please visit the Change Healthcare Cyber Response Website.
  • Temporary Provider Funding Assistance: Need help bridging the gap in short-term cash flow needs? Find out if you’re eligible for financial support here or call 1-877-702-3253.
  • Pharmacy Network: Electronic prescribing is now functional with claim submission and payment transmission also available. We continue to work to address issues for a subset of pharmacies that are still offline, disruption for infusion pharmacies and challenges for some Medicaid fee-for-service customers. If you are experiencing any additional disruption to pharmacy services, please visit the Change Healthcare Cyber Response Website for updates.
  • Submitting Claims/Payment: For additional information on workarounds for submitting claims/payment, guidance on prior authorizations and more, visit UnitedHealthcare’s Provider Portal.
  • Secure Data Transfer: Need help submitting claims or uploading and securely transferring larger files? Learn more about Optum iEDI secure data transfer.
  • Status Dashboard: Get regular updates about products and services, including uptime and support availability.
  • Need Additional Help? Contact Change Healthcare Client Services at:  [email protected]. For Accounts Payable inquiries, email: [email protected].

NCMS will continue to monitor this issue closely and update our members as we receive more information.


CMS Reopens MIPS EUC Application in Response to Change Healthcare Cyberattack

 

In response to the Change Healthcare cyberattack in late February, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) extended the data submission deadline and is now reopening the 2023 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (EUC) Exception Application to provide relief to MIPS eligible clinicians impacted by this cybersecurity incident. The application will be open for the remainder of the extended data submission period, which closes April 15, 2024.

This announcement includes the details, including the following information:

  • 2023 MIPS Data Submission Deadline
  • Who Can Submit a 2023 MIPS EUC Exception Application?
  • What If We’ve Already Submitted Some Data?
  • How Do I Apply?
  • Additional Resources

Register Now for Thursday's Medicaid Managed Care Back Porch Chat


Medicaid Managed Care Back Porch Chat: Key Medicaid Updates

Thursday, March 21 | 5:30 p.m.

 

This month's Back Porch Chat will be hosted by Dr. Janelle White, Chief Medical Officer of Medicaid, and Sarah Gregosky, Chief Operating Officer, NC Medicaid.

The webinar will include important news for all providers about NC Medicaid on preparing for Tailored Plan Launch, the latest on Medicaid Expansion, and additional clinical updates on the following topics:

  • Total Cost of Care Dashboard
  • Bicillin Rate Increase
  • Congenital Syphilis Update


Final Rule on Substance Use Disorder Patient Records Confidentiality Released

 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), finalized modifications to the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patient Records regulations at 42 CFR part 2 (“Part 2”), which protect the privacy of patients’ SUD treatment records.

Specifically, the final rule increases coordination among providers treating patients for SUDs, strengthens confidentiality protections through civil enforcement, and enhances integration of behavioral health information with other medical records to improve patient health outcomes.

This final rule goes into effect on April 16, 2024.

The final rule includes the following modifications to Part 2:

  • Permits use and disclosure of Part 2 records based on a single patient consent given once for all future uses and disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations.
  • Permits redisclosure of Part 2 records by HIPAA covered entities and business associates in accordance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule, with certain exceptions.
  • Provides new rights for patients under Part 2 to obtain an accounting of disclosures and to request restrictions on certain disclosures, as also granted by the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
  • Expands prohibitions on the use and disclosure of Part 2 records in civil, criminal, administrative, and legislative proceedings.
  • Provides HHS enforcement authority, including the potential imposition of civil money penalties for violations of Part 2.
  • Outlines new breach notification requirements applying to Part 2 records.

View the final rule here.

Find a fact sheet on the final rule here.


UNC Research Team Aims to Understand T Cells Energy

 

A UNC research team led by Jessica Thaxton, PhD, MsCR, associate professor of cell biology and physiology and co-leader of the Cancer Cell Biology Program at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, aimed to understand why T cells do not sustain energy in tumors.

T cells are often called “assassins” or “killers” because they can orchestrate and carry out missions to hunt down bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells throughout the body. Mighty as they may be, recent research has shown that once T cells infiltrate the environment of a solid tumor, they lose the energy needed to combat the cancer.

“Our discovery fills a long-standing gap in knowledge regarding why T cells in solid tumors don’t appropriately generate energy,” said Thaxton. “We inhibited the expression of ACC in mouse cancer models, and we observed that T cells were able to persist much better in solid tumors.”

Read the full article here.


CDC Issues Health Advisory on Increase of Global and U.S. Measles Cases

Measles (rubeola) is highly contagious; one person infected with measles can infect 9 out of 10 unvaccinated individuals with whom they come in close contact.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to inform clinicians and public health officials of an increase in global and U.S. measles cases and to provide guidance on measles prevention for all international travelers aged ≥6 months and all children aged ≥12 months who do not plan to travel internationally.

Schools, early childhood education providers, and healthcare providers should work to ensure students are current with MMR vaccine. Children who are not traveling internationally should receive their first dose of MMR at age 12 to 15 months and their second dose at 4 to 6 years. All U.S. residents older than age 6 months without evidence of immunity who are planning to travel internationally should receive MMR vaccine prior to departure.

  • Infants aged 6 through 11 months should receive one dose of MMR vaccine before departure. Infants who receive a dose of MMR vaccine before their first birthday should receive two more doses of MMR vaccine, the first of which should be administered when the child is age 12 through 15 months and the second at least 28 days later.
  • Children aged 12 months or older should receive two doses of MMR vaccine, separated by at least 28 days.
  • Teenagers and adults without evidence of measles immunity should receive two doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days.

Consider measles as a diagnosis in anyone with fever (≥101°F or 38.3°C) and a generalized maculopapular rash with cough, coryza, or conjunctivitis who has recently been abroad, especially in countries with ongoing outbreaks.

When considering measles:

  • Isolate: Isolate patients with suspected measles immediately, ideally in a single-patient airborne infection isolation room (AIIR) if available, or in a private room with a closed door until an AIIR is available. Offer testing outside of facilities to avoid transmission in healthcare settings. Call ahead to ensure immediate isolation for patients referred to hospitals for a higher level of care.
  • Notify: Immediately notify the NC Epidemiologist on Call at 919-733-3419 as soon as measles is suspected. The state measles subject matter experts will assist with identifying the best testing pathway and with determining appropriate control measures.

For more information, see the CDC HAN Health Advisory on increased global incidence of measles and vaccination guidance here.


HHS Provider Briefing on Response to Cyberattack on Change Healthcare Happening TODAY

Provider Briefing on Response to Cyberattack on Change Healthcare

Date: Tuesday, March 19

Time: 4:00-4:45pm ET

Join Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm, along with leadership from the Immediate Office of the Secretary and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), to learn how HHS is responding to the cyberattack on Change Healthcare.

CMS will provide an overview of how to apply for Medicare advance and accelerated payments, and leaders from UnitedHealth Group will demonstrate how to apply for funding the company has made available to providers.


NC Health System Celebrates a First in Alzheimer’s Care

(image credit: Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist)

 

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist became the first health system in the region to treat a patient with lecanemab, a new medication for Alzheimer’s disease. This is the first Alzheimer’s drug approved by the FDA in more than 20 years.

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. It is a progressive disease, with symptoms gradually worsening over several years. Lecanemab slows the progression of the disease by removing amyloid, a protein in the brain.

“Researchers do not fully understand the cause of Alzheimer’s disease, but a leading hypothesis is that amyloid plays a significant role in some of the memory loss,” said Dr. Jo Cleveland, director of the Memory Assessment and Support Clinic at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention.

Read the full article here.


Today is Health Workforce Well-being Day. We Recognize, Celebrate, and Honor YOU!

Recognize, Celebrate, and Honor: National Health Workforce Well-being Day of Awareness

 

Health Workforce Well-being Day aims to recognize the importance of protecting health workers’ well-being to sustain our health system and ensure quality patient care.

One of the North Carolina Medical Society's priorities this year focuses on fostering health system environment changes that improve the daily lives of our members through the work of the North Carolina Clinician and Physician Retention and Well-being (NCCPRW) Consortium.

Recently, the NCCPRW transitioned from an NCMS-led program into a standalone entity and began a partnership with The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation. This collaboration, along with the continued efforts of NC key stakeholders in healthcare and public health, will provide focused and targeted initiatives to improve the well-being of healthcare workers in North Carolina.

Related Reading:

Recognize, Celebrate, Honor: National Health Workforce Well-Being Day of Awareness


Register Now for the 2024 CENNC Clinical Ethics Conference: Where Ethics Meets Law

Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Conference Center

Friday, April 19, 2024
8 am–4:30 pm
Live in-person Only

Medical and hospital staff often encounter ethical tensions in practice arising from understandings of relevant law, as well as from a variety of other sources such as institutional policy, risk avoidance, financial concerns, professional guidelines, and political influences.

This highly interactive conference will examine these constraints using case presentation, small group discussion, lecture, expert panel interaction, and networking. You're invited to explore strategies for navigating situations in which your professional and personal integrity are challenged by examining common and pressing issues arising at the intersections of ethics and law.

Click here for more information & here for registration.