Allison Orris and Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Manatt Health
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government is moving rapidly to help states and health care providers respond to mounting needs for new sources of funding and flexibility. Congress has passed three COVID-19 stimulus bills, which authorize programmatic changes in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace coverage and also appropriate billions of dollars to support states, localities, and health care providers.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—and its component agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services—has issued voluminous guidance outlining new flexibilities available to states and providers, and is working at breakneck speed to approve additional requests from states, to award funds appropriated by Congress, and to issue more guidance about such funding. This Q&A provides a moment-in-time update in response to questions SHVS has received about the federal government’s response.