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Texas to receive record 2.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for next week State today reports record 360,000 new doses administered More than 2.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be shipped to providers across Texas next week. The Texas Department of State Health Services is allocating 1,094,920 first doses to 2,011 providers in 200 counties, the largest number of doses and providers to date. DSHS is ordering 626,290 second doses for people vaccinated a few weeks ago. An estimated 900,000 additional first and second doses are expected to be available to pharmacy locations, federally-qualified health centers and dialysis centers as allocated directly by the federal government. Texas has now administered more than 11.8 million doses, an increase of 1.8 million in the last week, and 360,000 more than was reported yesterday. Nearly 7.8 million people have received at least one dose, and more than 4.3 million are now fully vaccinated. Among Texas seniors, more than two-thirds have received at least one dose, and nearly half are now fully vaccinated. More than one-third of all Texans at least 16 years old have gotten a shot and nearly one in five are fully vaccinated. As of this week, all Texans ages 16 and older are eligible to receive a vaccine. DSHS also launched the Texas Public Health Vaccine Scheduler at getthevaccine.dshs.texas.gov, which allows people to register for a vaccine appointment from a participating public health entity such as DSHS and some local health departments. Already, more than 125,000 people have registered. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today updated its travel guidance for people who are fully vaccinated, saying that they can safely travel within the United States and no longer need to get tested or quarantine before or after travel, unless their destination requires it. People who are not yet vaccinated should continue to stay home and quarantine for seven days after travel and get tested three to five days after returning. Vaccination has helped drive down the number of new cases and people hospitalized with COVID-19 to their lowest level since June. However, with hundreds of variant cases identified in Texas that have the potential to spread more quickly and cause more serious disease, vaccination remains critically important. The available vaccines have proven effective against the variant strains, so the more people vaccinated, the easier it will be to keep the variants under control and prevent new ones from emerging. People can find more information on COVID-19 vaccine at dshs.texas.gov/covidvaccine/. Helpful links: Weekly vaccine allocations, including the full list for the week of April 5 Vaccination hub providers with contact information DSHS/TDEM map of vaccine providers Texas Vaccine Data Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Wasted Report (News Media Contact: pressofficer@dshs.texas.gov) This service is provided to you at no charge by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Visit us on the web at http://www.dshs.texas.gov.

HHSC has published Information Letter 2021-41 Guidance for FMSAs and Consumer Directed Services (CDS) Employers for COVID-19 (PDF). FMSAs, CDS employers and DRs are required to comply with state and federal laws, rules, regulations and letters regarding their Medicaid services. Due to the escalating situation of COVID-19, HHSC allows FMSAs to suspend face to face CDS employer orientations and reminds CDS employers and DRs that a service backup plan is required and should be in place. FMSAs are required to share the information contained in this letter with CDS employers and DRs. CDS Employer Orientations suspension is extended through September 30,2021. Email questions to CDS@hhsc.state.tx.us.

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W2 2021 - Now available online Visit the Employee Portal to obtain your W2. EE PORTAL LINK and Instructions

Effective December 19, 2021, Vesta will update the geo-location functionality on the Vesta Mobile Application from 100 feet distance to 250 feet distance. This means that if a CDS employee clocks in or clocks out using the Vesta Mobile Application and they are within 250 feet from the member home, they will not have to select a community location on the Vesta Mobile Application. • If the distance is within 250 feet, the service location is defaulted to Member Home and may be changed if necessary. • If the distance exceeds 250 feet, the CDS employee must select a service location before continuing. Beginning January 20th, 2022, if the CDS employee selects Member Home as the community location when clocking in or clock out more than 250 feet from the member’s location, the visit will not auto-confirm. If the Application is stating that you are more than 250 feet away from the member home and you are at the member home, please contact your CDS consultant immediately.

In-Home Attendant Services, Ltd. is committed to offering the best client satisfaction possible. Your input is vital to our success in serving you. Please provide your feedback and submit this form by December 15, 2021. We are required to follow up on all evaluations not returned. This survey is also available online at www.ihasurvey.com

Information Letter No. 2021-49 Importance of following EVV Rules and Policy Guidance for CDS Employers October 20, 2021 Reminder for CDS Employers Importance of Compliance with Existing EVV Requirements This notice reminds Consumer Directed Services (CDS) employers about existing Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) requirements, the importance of following existing requirements, and explains what may happen when CDS employers do not use EVV as required. EVV Requirements EVV is an electronic system used to document when certain Medicaid services have been delivered to a person authorized to receive Medicaid services. EVV electronically documents the time that service delivery begins and ends. As a CDS employer, you must ensure your CDS employees properly clock in and clock out using EVV for the required services. Technology Resources The Lifeline Program The Lifeline program is a federal program offered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to help make communications services more affordable for people with a low monthly income. Lifeline provides subscribers a discount on monthly telephone services, broadband Internet access services, or voice broadband bundled services purchased from participating providers. You can read more about Lifeline to see whether you qualify on the FCC website: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/lifeline-support-affordable-communications Emergency Broadband Benefit The Federal Communications Commission is offering an Emergency Broadband Benefit. This new benefit will: • Help families and households struggling to afford Internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. • Connect eligible households to jobs, critical health care services, virtual classrooms and more. You can read more about this benefit on the FCC website: https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit Helpful Training Resources ● EVV Training for CDS employers: https://www.hhs.texas.gov/doing-business-hhs/provider-portals/long-term-care-providers/resources/electronic-visit-verification/training-materials-resources ● EVV webpage: https://www.hhs.texas.gov/doing-business-hhs/provider-portals/long-term-care-providers/resources/electronic-visit-verification Using EVV as Required It is imperative your CDS employees properly clock in and clock out using EVV to ensure your employees do not experience a delay in payment because your Financial Management Services Agency (FMSA) cannot process payroll. If you do not ensure your employees use EVV when required and follow EVV rules and policies, you may be required to complete a corrective action plan (CAP) using Form 1741 as outlined in the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 41, subsection 41.407. The CAP is used to identify steps you will take to meet EVV requirements. You or your Designated Representative (DR) are required to complete a CAP when your FMSA, service coordinator or case manager requests it. Leaving the CDS option is a last resort if you do not meet EVV requirements and do not follow your CAP after receiving training and support from your FMSA and/or the EVV vendor.