Happy Wednesday! Here’s your NCMS Morning Rounds.

May 26, 2021

NC Medicaid Transition Resources

As the July 1 ‘go live’ date for Medicaid managed care nears, the state is offering a variety of resources to help in the transition. Access the Frequently Asked Questions documents on each topic noted below.

Also, the NCMS with the help of other health care organizations are creating a clearinghouse of resources and tips as well as a process in which we will collect input on any issues practices throughout the state encounter as we make this transition. We will use these reports in our conversations with the various health plans and the state to help ensure the challenges are addressed.

Watch your NCMS Morning Rounds and your email box for details on this process as the July 1 date approaches.

• Panel Management

• What Providers Need to Know After Managed Care Launch

• Provider Plan Lookup

• Eligibility for Newborns

For more information about NC Medicaid Managed Care, visit the Medicaid Transformation website or the NC Medicaid Enrollment Broker website.

Reports of Myocarditis Occurring After COVID-19 Vaccination

In recent weeks, there have been rare reports of myocarditis occurring after COVID-19 vaccination with Moderna or Pfizer vaccines in the United States and Europe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is aware of these reports and has been closely monitoring myocarditis/pericarditis in multiple safety systems and will continue to evaluate reports of myocarditis/pericarditis occurring after COVID-19 vaccination and will share more information as it becomes available.

The CDC is advising clinicians to be on the lookout for early signs of myocarditis. Read the report here.

Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle and pericarditis is the inflammation of the lining outside the heart. In both cases, the body’s immune system is causing inflammation in response to an infection or some other trigger.  While myocarditis can be serious, it is frequently mild and self-limited. Symptoms can include abnormal heart rhythms, shortness of breath, or chest pain. Both myocarditis and pericarditis have been reported as complications in patients with COVID-19.

While these reports are being further investigated, you should do the following:
• Consider a diagnosis of myocarditis or pericarditis in any evaluation of chest pain following COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccination.
• Inquire about recent COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccination in any patient presenting with symptoms consistent with myocarditis or pericarditis.
o Clinical features of myocarditis and pericarditis include chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, electrocardiogram (EKG) changes and elevated cardiac biomarkers.
o Elicit a detailed history including vaccination status and potential exposures to COVID-19. Patients should be tested for COVID-19 infection using a molecular (PCR) test.
• Report cases of myocarditis or pericarditis within two weeks of any COVID-19 vaccination to the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS): https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html).
o It is recommended that the evaluating (not administering) provider report the incident to VAERS so appropriate clinical details can be reported accurately.

The CDC continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for people 12 years and older.

We Need Your Input on COVID-19 Vaccination in Your Practice

Please take just a minute to complete our ongoing survey of how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting your practice. This week’s survey leads off with questions about COVID-19 vaccination.

Your input is invaluable in guiding the NCMS’, the NC Medical Group Management Association’s and Curi’s advocacy on your behalf as well as developing resources to help you over the course of the pandemic. Thank you for your continued engagement!

In the News

CDC says vaccinated people can largely skip testing, shares new breakthrough case count, Becker’s Hospital Review, 5-21-21

Learning Opportunity

The Future of Behavioral Health After A Year of Isolation, Thursday, June 3 • 3-4 p.m.
The effects of continued and prolonged restrictions on daily life has impacted the mental health of the world’s citizens in profound ways. But the health care system is ill-prepared to deal with the massive challenges that a year of isolation, fear, and anger are certain to have produced, especially among children. This week on Stay Up to Date, discuss the outlook not only for demand for behavioral health, but who is poised to succeed in treating it.

Learn more and register here.

If you have policies you’d like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!