On Friday, July 31, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit overturned a lower court decision and upheld the provider fee that states are required to pay under Section 9010 of the ACA, on behalf of MCOs, in order for the states to receive federal reimbursement for payments to the MCOs. 

It’s been just over a year since the Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) Notice of Intent deadline passed, and in a new blog post, Public Consulting Group’s Carole Hussey reflects on the national landscape, the progress that has been made, and the progress yet to be made.

Many new solutions are being designed and implemented to satisfy the requirements of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS). From platforms, to Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software, to Best-of-Breed, there are both some nuances as well as major differences in how the child welfare community is defining the various solutions in the marketplace.

The final rule for the Comprehensive Child Welfare Information Systems (CCWIS) is more focused on the data rather than the system itself.  This is an important change from the previous Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) focus, and one that will have significant impact to states and tribes.  While there are still elements of the rule that affect systems design, the new focus of the CCWIS is bi-directional data exchanges with courts, education, and Medicaid claims processing systems.