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DOH Updates Guidance on Community Health Assessments

The Department of Health (DOH) has updated and replaced the guidance document entitled “Rescission of Updated COVID-19 Guidance for the Authorization of Community Based Long Term Services and Supports Covered by Medicaid” issued on July 26, 2021. The new and updated guidance is available here.

The new guidance provides for the following:

  • Extends the due date for Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) personal assistants to obtain an annual health assessment from Sept. 30, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2021; and
  • Allows telehealth Uniform Assessment System for New York (UAS-NY) Community Health Assessments (CHAs) to resume as an option for all assessments, in addition to in-person mode.

Telehealth CHAs must be conducted and completed via live interactive video teleconference only. Telephonic assessments are not allowed, except for individuals being assessed for 1915(c) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) waiver programs.

The use of telehealth to conduct CHAs is being allowed during the continuing public health emergency. The Department is still evaluating the validity of telehealth assessments and reserves the right to cease the use of telehealth to conduct CHAs at any time. It is our understanding that this guidance allows Maximus to carry out assessments via telehealth as well.

In addition, a new question, “Mode of Assessment,” has been added to the CHA to capture whether the assessment was conducted via the in-person or live videoconference telehealth modality. Instructions on how to identify the mode will be sent through an Integrated Health Alerting and Notification System (IHANS) bulletin to all individuals with UAS roles for adding or changing the CHA.

Questions related to the updated guidance should be emailed to mltcinfo@health.ny.gov. Please feel free to reach out to Meg Everett with questions as well.

Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-929-9342