Illinois Medicaid providers have a new old task on their to-do list: revalidation of their enrollment status. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) has resumed the mandatory process that was previously put on hold due to the COVID-19 emergency. This federal requirement, essential for continuing to serve Medicaid recipients, is now back in effect, and HFS director Elizabeth Whitehorn emphasizes the goal of making it "as seamless as possible for providers," according to a state press release.
Starting from today, emails will go out to the healthcare providers 90 days before their individual revalidation is due—an initial heads up to ensure no one finds themselves out in the cold, unable to bill Medicaid for their services. If you're a provider with a November deadline, you should definitely start to keep an eye on your inbox this September. However, it’s the providers’ responsibility to actively confirm that everything is in check on the HFS IMPACT system, where they need to log in, review their enrollment details, and make any necessary updates. Not doing so could lead to a termination from the Medicaid program, a situation where "all payments will cease for any services provided beginning the day after the revalidation due date," as Whitehorn stated in the press release.
To beef up security and ensure the protection of sensitive information, multifactor authentication now stands guard at the gates of the IMPACT system. It's a first for the system, and although setting it up is non-negotiable for completing revalidation, HFS advises that there's no need to wait until your deadline looms—get ahead and set this up now. A multi-platform 'Stay Connected' campaign has been launched by HFS, providing communications materials and webinars to key stakeholders like medical associations and managed care organizations, helping to disseminate revalidation information through their networks.
If guided, step-by-step instructions crossed with a little help from Frequently Asked Questions, a video tutorial, and a stakeholder toolkit sounds like your cup of tea, then the IMPACT website is where you'll find your brew. And for those who would rather talk it out, the Provider Enrollment call center can be reached at 877-782-5565, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.—now with additional staff to handle any surges in calls. HFS is also to host a series of virtual town hall meetings, with the first kicking off on September 5 at 10 a.m., and others following suit later in the month and into October. Providers must register in advance for these interactive sessions, a space for overviews and query resolutions about the revalidation process.
