Search For:

The purpose of this bulletin is to notify PACE providers, LTSS screening teams, and Managed Care Organizations of new allowances for PACE providers to conduct LTSS screening resulting from the 2024 General Assembly passing of House Bill 729 and Senate Bill 620. 

Effective June 1, 2024, qualified PACE staff are permitted to conduct LTSS screenings when community-based teams are unable to complete the screening within 30 days or the individual has requested enrollment in a PACE program.  Qualified PACE staff include at a minimum, a registered nurse; social workers and other staff may participate with the registered nurse to conduct the screening. All screenings must be reviewed by a physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner.   

When a PACE provider conducts an LTSS screening, the individual must be offered a choice between institutional or home and community-based services.  This includes the Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus (CCC Plus) Waiver, PACE, and nursing facility.  A choice must be offered to all individuals found to meet the nursing facility's level of care.

Qualified PACE staff must register and complete online LTSS training provided by Virginia Commonwealth University.  The link to register for the training is:  https://medicaidltss.partnership.vcu.edu/register. The PACE provider’s NPI will be needed to complete the registration.  Registered nurses and other staff who will assist in conducting the screening must complete modules 1 through 3 and the corresponding assessment for each module.  Physicians, Physician Assistants, and Nurse practitioners must complete Module 5 and the corresponding assessment.  All staff must receive a score of at least 80% to receive certification for the LTSS screening.  Each staff member completing the training will receive a certificate and a certificate number to be used when conducting a screening.  The certificate should also be placed in the staff member’s employment file.  Each screener must be recertified every three years. 

LTSS screenings must be entered into the eMLS portal.  For staff to gain access to the eMLS portal, the Primary Account Holder (PAH) or Delegate Administrators (DAS) will need to add the roles of staff by assigning staff one of the following roles: Creator, Viewer, or Approver. Resources on delegate management are listed here: Provider Training Resources | MES (virginia.gov). Specifically, PRSS-118 Introduction to Provider and MCO Portal Delegate Management and PRSS-118 User Guide can support efforts in managing delegates.  For questions related to delegate administration, contact MES-Assist@dmas.virginia.gov. 

Once the user role has been assigned, the staff will have access to the portal.  Training on eMLS and a user guide is found at: https://vamedicaid.dmas.virginia.gov/training/crms#gsc.tab=0.  Users should complete the courses under the heading:  How to Perform Screenings in eMLS; this includes CRMS-101, CRMS-103, CRMS-104, and CRMS-106. 

For questions, please email screeningassistance@dmas.virginia.gov