COVID-19 Guidance for Medicaid Providers
COVID–19 Telephonic and Telehealth Services Available to Statewide Adult Day Health Care Program Services
- Guidance is also available in Portable Document Format (PDF)
DATE: March 28, 2020
TO: Adult Day Health Care/Program Administrators/Directors
COVID–19 Telephonic and Telehealth Services Available to Statewide Adult Day Health Care Program Services
Please distribute immediately to Administrators, Program Directors.
This memorandum amends the March 17, 2020, NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) guidance suspending Medicaid Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) Services. On March 23, 2020, NYSDOH issued Medicaid Update 36.5: "Comprehensive Guidance Regarding Use of Telehealth including Telephonic Services During the COVID–19 State of Emergency". All ADHC Program Administrators and Directors should review this Medicaid Update.
Q: Will ADHC programs receive payment for providing telephonic and telehealth services during the State of Emergency, even though, as part of the effort to prevent COVID19 spread, NYSDOH suspended all ADHC program services on March 17, 2020?
A: Yes. NYSDOH is authorizing payment for services delivered telephonically, as detailed in the NYSDOH Medicaid Update chart on page 3, and through other telehealth applications as described in the guidance.
Q: Can we provide these services to all ADHC clients?
A: Services delivered either telephonically or through telehealth should be indicated in the ADHC client´s current plan of care.
Q: Does the amendment to the suspension of ADHC services mean facilities can re–open to clients?
A. No. ADHC facilities cannot re–open to provide in–person services to clients. The intent of the suspension is to prevent individuals, especially the elderly and those who are immune compromised, from potential exposure to COVID–19. The only services that ADHC facilities may provide are services provided telephonically, or via telehealth.
This notice serves as formal notification of your program´s services reinstatement to required parties including, but not limited to: registrants; Next of Kin; program staff; physicians; long term care ombudsman; and Medicaid managed care providers. This notification will serve to fulfill regulatory requirements of reinstatement of such services.
Please take all the necessary steps to reengage program registrants. It is encouraged that ADHC clients continue to receive services through telephonic and telehealth modes of delivery, when possible.
Thank you for your ongoing cooperation in response to the COVID–19 public health emergency. Please forward any questions about this advisory to covidnursinghomeinfo@health.ny.gov.
