| As you may know, the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) announced in January a temporary pause on prior authorization requests (PARs) for a series of pediatric long-term home health services and home health therapies. Those included PARs for pediatric long-term home health Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) services, and home health physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech language pathology therapy services. The temporary pause was scheduled to end on June 1, 2022, at the earliest.
However, effective February 28, 2022, the Department announced that the pause will extend through March 2024 and will now include:
- Pediatric long-term home health CNA services
- Pediatric long-term home health therapies: occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology therapy
- Pediatric long-term home health intermittent skilled nursing
According to the Department, “the two-year pause allows the Department time to engage with stakeholders, train providers on operational changes, evaluate benefit policy, and notify Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) members before the pause is lifted. This also gives the Department time to ensure full compliance with federal and state policy while keeping Health First Colorado members and their needs front and center.”
Please also remember that the Department is holding a session for CNA providers and family caregivers on Friday, March 4. Register here. |
