End of PHE - COVID-19 Update: EPSDT Personal Care Services (IB 23-5)

Date: 04/13/23

Louisiana Healthcare Connections is sharing with providers a recent publication regarding the end of public health emergency and COVID-19 update related to EPSDT Personal Care Services (IB 23-5).

Provider Policy Update: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Personal Care Services
The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) will end on May 11, 2023, which will also end the temporary changes in provider policy for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Personal Care Services (EPSDT-PCS), which can be found in Informational Bulletin 20-9. All provider agencies must ensure they have direct service workers (DSW) who are not the responsible healthcare proxy/caregivers rendering EPSDT-PCS to their patients.

On May 11, 2023, the EPSDT-PCS Provider Requirements will resume, as indicated below, from the EPSDT-PCS provider manual:

Staff assigned to provide personal care services shall not be a member of the recipient’s immediate family. Immediate family includes father, mother, sister, brother, spouse, child, grandparent, in-law, or any individual acting as parent or guardian of the recipient. Personal
care services may be provided by a person of a degree of relationship to the recipient other than immediate family, if the relative is not living in the recipient’s home, or, if he/she is living in the recipient’s home solely because his/her presence in the home is necessitated by the amount of care required by the recipient.