March 29, 2023

The COVID Public Health Emergency (PHE) is set to expire on May 11, 2023.  In response to the end of the PHE, NYS DOH has provided some information on post-COVID PHE changes. 

• The NYS Medicaid Update for March 2023 provides information on Post PHE Telehealth changes.
• NYS State of Health, Unwinding from COVID Tool kit provides information regarding eligibility for public program enrollees in the Spring of 2023.  During the PHE enrollees in Medicaid, Child Health Plus (CHP) and the Essential Plan (EP) have not had to renew their health insurance since early 2020.  The tool kit advises on the re-starting of the enrollment process in the Spring of 2023 and the need for provider assistance in making this transition.

The OASAS COVID-19 Regulatory Waiver Guidance  and Part 830 Designated Services Regulation provide Telehealth information specific to OASAS Certified Providers.

In addition to the above information, providers should be aware that previously waived time minimum durations for all treatment services will expire on May 11, 2023.  Providers should begin as soon as possible the process of meeting minimum time requirements for Medicaid reimbursement.

Please send questions regarding these changes to the PICM or Legal mailbox.

OMH is working on two (2) OMH Outpatient Clinic guidance docs.  The first is a billing guidance document that is awaiting final sign off.  OMH hopes to issue this guidance document in 2 weeks.  The other is programmatic guidance (again, related to OMH Clinic) that should follow shortly after the billing guidance document goes out.