Meetings & Presentations | Nov 29, 2022

Improving Ex Parte Rates to Support Unwinding

Patricia Boozang, Kinda Serafi and Kaylee O’Connor, Manatt Health

As states head into the final stretch of planning for the transition back to regular eligibility and enrollment (E&E) operations at the end of the federal public health emergency (PHE), many are working to strengthen their redetermination and renewal processes. Improving ex parte rates as part of the Medicaid renewal process is one of the most effective tools available to states to mitigate coverage loss for eligible individuals when the PHE ends.

State Health and Value Strategies hosted a working session for state officials responsible for operationalizing, refining, and overseeing eligibility and enrollment processes, including redeterminations/renewals and systems changes. The slide deck from the session provides an overview of ex parte processes and includes key ex parte resources in the appendix. The session provided state participants with the opportunity to pose questions to experts from Manatt Health regarding the issues they are facing as they work to improve their ex parte rates in preparation for the end of the continuous coverage requirements.


Expert Perspectives

October 11, 2024

CMS Offers New Details on Account Transfer 2.0

The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) explained the transition to “Account Transfer 2.0” (AT 2.0) in a CMCS Informational Bulletin (CIB) released on October 10, 2024. The CIB indicates significant federal investment in improving the process of transferring consumer application information between state Medicaid and CHIP agencies and the Marketplace in the states using the federal platform. This expert perspective reviews the CIB and highlights opportunities for states to improve account transfer data under the CIB.

CMS Solicits Comments on Medicaid/CHIP Reporting Templates for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity

On September 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new collection of federal Medicaid and CHIP reporting templates designed to assist states in monitoring Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) compliance in Medicaid and CHIP. Informal public comment is requested by December 2, 2024. This expert perspective reviews the reporting templates to highlight considerations for states and support the formulation of comment submissions.

September 27, 2024

States Have New Flexibility to Add Adult Dental Care to Essential Health Benefits

On April 2, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offered a new option for states to update their essential health benefits (EHB) benchmark plan to require coverage of routine adult dental benefits. While there are multiple drivers of inequities in oral health, a primary barrier to accessing dental services is the cost of care, a barrier that can be reduced with dental insurance. This expert perspective provides an overview of the newly available flexibility and discusses considerations for states weighing whether to add a requirement that plans subject to EHB cover routine adult dental care.