Webinars | Jul 12, 2012

“Reasonable” Flexibility: Exploring Models to Help States Resolve Inconsistencies in Income for Medicaid, CHIP and Tax Credit Eligibility Webinar

Manatt Health Solutions – Deborah Bachrach and Kinda Serafi

This webinar offered detailed analysis of the standards under which states can find “reasonable compatibility” of income information provided by applicants for Medicaid, CHIP and the exchanges that is not precisely equivalent. Income data is typically neither static nor centralized, and states must be prepared to resolve discrepancies when income data is submitted by applicants or retrieved from state, federal, or other independent sources. In the case of a discrepancy, CMS eligibility rules provide guidelines to help states proceed with an eligibility determination, including some flexibility for states to find data is “reasonably compatible.” These rules, which will apply to advance premium tax credit (APTC) and cost-sharing requirement (CSR), provide states with critical flexibility to operationalize eligibility decision-making by allowing states to accept small deviations in income data from different sources.

On this July 16, 2012 webinar, Deborah Bachrach and Kinda Serafi of Manatt Health Solutions, walked participants through straw models they have created to help states think through options for reasonable compatibility process flows for Medicaid, CHIP and APTC/CSR income eligibility determinations. Karen Gibson from Minnesota Department of Human Services shared preliminary thinking on planning for implementation of reasonable compatibility standards. In addition, Anne Marie Costello from CMCS and Ben Walker from CCIIO provided reactions and feedback on the models. The webinar was introduced by Chad E. Shearer, Deputy Director of the State Health Reform Assistance Network. Alice Weiss, Co-Director of Maximizing Enrollment, moderated the panel.

Click on the download button for the slide deck used during the webinar and on the link below to hear an archived version of the discussion. An appendix (referred to, but not presented during the webinar) is included at the end of the slideshow to provide illustrative examples and outline Federal requirements.

Reasonable Compatibility Straw Models Webinar

 


Expert Perspectives

August 10, 2020

Advances in States’ Reporting of COVID-19 Health Equity Data

This expert perspective provides an update on states’ reporting of health equity data related to cases, mortality, hospitalizations, and testing and new state activity related to data collection, including examples of collecting additional data measures and creating taskforces to advance health equity. The post also provides a summary of CARES Act reporting requirements related to testing.

August 7, 2020

Essential Workers in Challenging Environments: How States Are Working to Protect Farmworkers

While efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have been difficult in all environments, the conditions for those working in agricultural production raise additional challenges. Migrant and seasonal farmworkers, many of whom travel as crops ripen throughout the spring and summer, live and work under conditions that even before COVID-19 posed risks to their safety and wellbeing. This expert perspective  examines approaches to addressing the particular risks of COVID-19 faced by farmworkers, provides a survey of state and local policies and outlines some key themes and recommendations for policymakers as they work to support agricultural workers and stem the spread of COVID-19.