Tag - screening

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Lung Cancer Screening Benefits to Change for Texas Medicaid

Date: August 13, 2021 Attention: Primary care Providers Effective Date: September 1, 2021 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Effective for dates of service on or after September 1, 2021, lung cancer screening benefits will change for Texas Medicaid. Major changes to this medical benefit...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Webinar series: Several Aspects of HIV Prevention in Healthcare Settings

Date: June 11, 2021 Attention: Primary Care Providers, Emergency Care Providers, and others involved or interested in HIV prevention and care Webinar Dates: The events are held online from June 8 to July 14 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: The Texas Collaborative for...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Cystic Fibrosis and Spinal Muscular Atrophy Screening Authorization No Longer Required

Date: May 27, 2021 Attention: Obstetric Care Providers Effective Date: June 1, 2021 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) would like to inform network providers that beginning June 1, 2021; a prior authorization is no longer required for the...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Developmental and Mental Health Screening Tools Added for the THSteps Preventive Care Medical Checkups

Date: May 11, 2021 Attention: Pediatric Providers Effective Date: June 1, 2021 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Texas Children’s Health Plan would like to inform network providers of two new developmental and mental health-screening tools that will be added to the Texas Health...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Colorectal Cancer Screening Benefit Criteria to Change for Texas Medicaid

Attention: PCPs and Oncologists Effective Date: March 1, 2021 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Effective for dates of service on or after March 1, 2021, colorectal cancer screening benefit criteria will change for Texas Medicaid. Fecal occult blood tests, multi-targeted stool deoxyribonucleic...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Screening and Coding for Social Determinants of Health – Introducing Texas Children’s Family Resources

Attention: Primary Care and Obstetric Care Providers Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Are your patients struggling to meet their basic needs? Connect them today with Texas Children’s Family Resources to find food and housing assistance, help paying bills, and other free or reduced-cost...

Provider Alert!

Provider Alert! Behavioral Health Screening Reminders

Attention: Primary Care Providers and Obstetric Care Providers Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event. TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Texas Children’s Health Plan would like to remind Primary Care Providers and Obstetric Care Providers of the importance of screening for depression during the office visit. Mental health...

Identifying and treating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Season affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that appears related to seasonal changes. This recurrent depression may happen every year and occurs most commonly in the fall and winter when the daylight hours shorten, but it may also occur in the spring and summer. SAD may affect up to 5% of the population and seems to be more common in Northern climates and in individuals with a personal history of depression and those with a close relative who...

Breaking Reminder: Syphilis Screening Urged for All Pregnant Women

The number of congenital syphilis cases is rising at an alarming rate.  From 2012-2016 the rate of congenital syphilis increased by 87% (from 8.4 to 15.7 cases per 100,000 live births).1   According to historical data, up to 40% of pregnancies with untreated syphilis will result in miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death.  And those infants who live are at risk for skeletal abnormalities; hepatosplenomegaly; jaundice; anemia; and other complications which can cause developmental delays and seizures.2   Given that congenital syphilis is...

CDC data released show STD diagnoses at record high in U.S.

The CDC has released preliminary surveillance data presented at the 2018 STD Prevention Conference in Washington, D.C.  Data analysis of the five year trend of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) showed a sharp increase in STDs for four consecutive years (see chart).   In 2017, almost 2.3 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported to the CDC, an increase of more than 200,000 cases from 2016 (see graph).   Young women continue to bear the greatest burden of chlamydia, having nearly...