AGD Support

IMPORTANT for users of A&D (SAMS) - Edge in IE Mode - Instructions and Download

All users of Aging & Disability must transition to using the Microsoft Edge browser in IE Mode before June 15, 2022. Instructions for individual users who have administrator rights to their PCs are displayed below, along with the executable file. For convenience, the blog post for downloading the latest version of Silverlight is also included below. 

Instructions for individuals who have administrator rights to their own PC: 

Configuring Microsoft Edge for WellSky Aging & Disability

Instructions for IT Administrators (if doing by group policy): 

Configuring Microsoft Edge for WellSky Aging & Disability (IT Depts)

The IE Mode Executable File (also linked to in the above instructions): 

Download IEModeEdge

Silverlight Download Post Link: 

[Credentials required to access post below: username: SIMS, password: Support]

https://simssupport.800ageinfo.com/2021/11/silverlight-download-file-11-5-21.html

Job Aide for Retrieving AFC Initial Determination info from SAMS

This guide walks AFC provider users through common tasks that will be performed during the transition from SAMS to the MassHealth LTSS Provider Portal. 

Download Job Aide - Retrieving Information Related to AFC Initial Determinations

Announcement to Adult Foster Care (AFC) Providers

This Announcement is for AFC Providers ONLY.  Group Adult Foster Care (GAFC) providers will continue to utilize AGD SAMS until further notice.

Beginning May 1, 2019

Beginning May 1, 2019, AGD SAMS will no longer be used for AFC Initial Determinations.  Coastline will only review AFC Initial Determinations submitted to AGD SAMS on or before April 30, 2019.

As of May 1, 2019, all AFC providers are required to submit AFC Prior Authorization (PA) requests through the MassHealth LTSS Provider Portal (www.masshealthltss.com). For PA support, email [email protected] or call the LTSS Provider Service Center (844) 368-5184.

All materials, including required PA forms and documentation, can be accessed through the LTSS Provider Portal under Adult Foster Care Provider Resources.

Please Note

1. AFC providers may begin submitting PA Initial Determination requests through the MassHealth LTSS Provider Portal as early as April 16, 2019; however, by May 1, 2019, all AFC Initial Determination requests must be submitted through the Portal.
2. AGD SAMS will continue to be accessible in a read-only format with the ability to download and print historical information. Eventually read-only access to AGD SAMS will no longer be available for AFC information. MassHealth will provide adequate notice prior to closing access to AGD SAMS for AFC users. In the meantime, AFC providers should continue to download documents from AGD in preparation for access termination.
3. The GAFC Initial Determination process is not converting to PA at this time.  Until further notice, all GAFC Initial Determinations should continue to be submitted via AGD SAMS.

 

Announcement – Deactivation of Unused User Accounts (July 2018)

On Friday June 29^th, 2018, any User Login Accounts for users who have not logged in to SAMS in the past three months or longer (i.e. users who have not logged in since March 1^st, 2018) will be deactivated. We will not deactivate users whose accounts have been created since May 1^st, 2018. Please share this notice with any co-workers at your organization who may be SIMS AGD users.

Keep your User Login Account Open: If you or a user at your organization has not opened SAMS since March 1^st, 2018, but needs to maintain access to the SAMS application, please login to the Mediware portal and open SAMS.  That's all you need to do! We recommend that every user take this opportunity to review their password reset questions & answers at this time.

Below are links to relevant blog posts:

Secure Email Instructions for AGD

User Management for AGD

User Guide

Password Management

Rebranding of Login & Portal Pages to Mediware

Effective today, the Login and Portal pages used for SAMS access look different -- they now show the Mediware logo instead of the Harmony logo.

This reflects the acquisition of Harmony by Mediware in June 2014.  View Mediware's press release dated June 11, 2014.  No functional changes to SAMS are expected, and users will continue to login at login.harmonyis.net

The AGD User Guide has not yet been updated with these screenshots; it will be updated in the near future.

New look for Login screen

Clarification on Provider Use of Activity Reason Codes

Providers should not add or remove reason codes within Activity & Referral records. This field should only be edited by Coastline and Elder Affairs, and is strictly informational for providers. 

New Guidance Regarding Merging Duplicate Records

Occasionally a provider will inadvertently create a duplicate record in SAMS. Providers should do all they can to avoid creating a duplicate, as this adds time to the submission/review process, and delays the start of your member's services. Please consult the article on the AGD Support Blog titled Avoiding Duplicates by Careful Locate/Create for helpful tips to avoid creating duplicates.

Assessment Upload: Fact Sheet

New functionality in the Harmony SAMS application enables an authorized user to import or export XML data to or from a SAMS assessment form. Each assessment has an associated XSD schema that is available from SAMS. This functionality may be deployed to AGD organizations that store MDS-HC data in their own system-of-record, so as to reduce redundant data entry. 

Assessment Import (into SAMS) is used to create a new assessment only; assessment data is editable in SAMS after upload for review, correction, or completion by the user. 

Assessment Export (out of SAMS) can be used at any time by an authorized user to create valid XML from a particular assessment, containing all assessment responses and the assessment narrative.

Group 2 Providers: Communication from AGD Support 6/23/15

The following email was sent to Group 2 AFC/GAFC providers on 6/23/15. 

It contains important information about the upcoming AGD training webinar, and details on required action items for all Group 2 providers. 

_________________________________________________________________

You are receiving this message because you are confirmed as a Point-person for your AFC/GAFC provider organization. Please ensure that all appropriate staff view its contents. 

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Greetings AFC/GAFC Providers:

This message regards the statewide deployment of AGD Direct, an upgrade to the AFC/GAFC Determinations process to determine initial eligibility for AFC and GAFC.  Your organization has been identified as a member of Statewide Group 2, the second and final group of providers to be implemented.

 

The upgraded AGD process will streamline determination submission, reducing the number of days for eligibility to be determined. The AGD process takes place in SIMS - the Senior Information Management System operated by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA).  AFC & GAFC Determinations are already recorded in SIMS - a key feature of the upgraded process is that your organization's staff will now be SIMS users who record MDS-HC data and attach digitized document scans, enabling Coastline to review all determination materials within SIMS.

Your organization is one of 142 AFC & GAFC provider organizations identified in statewide Group 2. 

 

Currently, there are 104 organizations that are live in SIMS using the new AGD process (“Group 1” providers).  As of June 19, 2015, 549 determinations have been initiated with the new process. After Group 2’s “go-live”, paper processing of AFC/GAFC determinations will be discontinued for all AFC/GAFC providers in Massachusetts.

 

The purpose of this email is to provide meeting details & 2 important action items for the Kickoff Webinar & Training for AGD Direct.

 

Latest AGD Announcements - Updated 9/15/15

Weekly support webinars for Group 2 users have been discontinued. Please consult the user guide for process guidelines, and view the recorded training webinar for a detailed overview. Thank you!

 

 

Portal Security Update, with browser update instructions

Greetings,

Harmony will be implementing security updates on both Wednesday April 22nd &  Sunday April 26th.

These updates will affect users who currently use the Vista Operating System or who use Google Chrome or Internet Explorer as their internet browsers for all Harmony applications including SAMS, Provider Direct, Omnia Interviewer, Ombudsmanager, and Harmony for APS.

There should be no extended maintenance or downtime as a result of these updates.

New edition of the AGD Providers' User Guide

We have just published the most recent edition of the Provider User Guide, which is available here.

This edition includes an updated role description for AGD Point-persons, as well as new information on the SecureMail portal, including How to Register for SecureMail and How to send a secure message.

Implementing Secure Email for AGD point-persons - ACTION required for Group 2 providers

AGD: Implementing Secure Email for AGD point-persons 

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As an AGD point-person, you have an important role in the project to streamline AFC/ GAFC Determination (AGD). Your organization is an AFC or GAFC provider that will soon be required to do all AFC/GAFC submissions through this new process .

Requirements for AGD Providers

Group-1 Webinar Survey

Update:  It's still not too late to respond!

 

Survey follows the jump.  Thanks for attending!

Providers' User Guide Updated

A new edition of the Providers' User Guide has been published, v1.5.2.

The Guide is available at the User Guide page, the permanent location for the most up-to-date version.

 

NOTE:  we expect to release another edition soon, with further refinements.

First release of User Guide for Providers

First release of AGD Provider User Guide. This document will be updated as needed in the future as the pilot proceeds.

Go to the User Guide Page.

AGD - AFC & GAFC Determinations

This the the User Support website for AGD.