Newsroom > DHHS News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2008

CONTACTS
Marla Augustine, Communications and Legislative Services, (402) 471-4047 marla.augustine@dhhs.ne.gov

Lincoln – The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Medicaid and Long Term Care will hold two public hearings July 10, 2008. These hearings are being held to accept comments on proposed changes to regulations for the Nebraska Medicaid Assistance Program, also known as Medicaid. The hearings will take place in Lincoln at the State Office Building, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lower Level Conference Room ‘A.’

The 9:30 a.m. CT hearing will consider proposed changes to:

• Clarify that physicians must use National Drug Codes on claims for all physician-administered medications;
• Clarify requirements for participation in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program;
• Allow negotiation of rates that are an exception to the fee schedule for out-of-state physician services;
• Remove the 40% limitation on payments for the professional component of lab and radiology services;
• Repeal provisions for Medicaid coverage of sterilization services not funded by federal Medicaid funds and for Medicaid coverage of diagnosis and treatment of impotence; and
• Specify that, for the Nebraska Medicaid Program, hospital-based physician clinic services must be billed on a certain form.

The 11:00 a.m. CT hearing will consider changes to the Nebraska Medicaid Managed Care Program, also know as the Nebraska Health Connection to:

• Revise provisions for enrollment broker services to allow greater flexibility in contracting for these services and to remove requirements for Public Health nursing services, health assessment, EPSDT Outreach, operation of the helpline, and client advocacy;
• Repeal Chapter 6, Quality Assurance/Improvement; and
• Eliminate a reference to contacting the State Ombudsman for information regarding appeals and grievances.

Anyone may attend and comment at the hearings or submit comments in writing. Written comments must be postmarked or received by 5:00 p.m. CT, July 12, 2008. They should be sent to DHHS Regulatory Analysis and Integration, 301 Centennial Mall South, P.O. Box 95026, Lincoln, NE 68509; faxed to 402-742-2382; or e-mailed to Rules.Regs@dhhs.ne.gov.

If auxiliary aids or reasonable accommodations are needed to participate in a hearing, please call 402-471-9022. Persons with hearing impairments may call the DHHS at 402-471-9570 (voice and TDD) or the Nebraska Relay System at 711 or 800-833-7352 TDD.

Draft regulations and DHHS hearing notices are available online at: http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/reg/hearings/.

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