Regulatory Analysis , State Materials | Jun 17, 2020

New Hampshire COVID-19 Directed Payment

Jocelyn Guyer and Patricia Boozang, Manatt Health

On April 30, 2020, New Hampshire received approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to require its managed care organizations (MCOs) to make a directed payment to six types of essential Medicaid providers in order to help them keep their doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous states across the country share New Hampshire’s interest in directing MCOs to use some of their capitation funds to support providers facing sharp declines in utilization due to COVID-19. This regulatory analysis provides an overview of New Hampshire’s directed payment and the documents used in the New Hampshire approval.


Expert Perspectives

An Early Look at State Budget Actions in Response to COVID-19 and the Impact on State Health Programs

The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health crisis that has triggered an economic crisis. While the federal government acted to provide financial relief, states have faced significant growth in expenditures in response to the pandemic, as well as simultaneous and severe drops in revenue. This expert perspective provides a snapshot of how states are navigating the known and unknown fiscal challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, given declining revenues and rising spending demands in the context of balanced budget requirements. The strategies that states employ to address the fiscal fallout of COVID-19, will have significant and long-lasting implications for critical health care and safety net programs.