Federal Declarations and Flexibilities Supporting Medicaid and CHIP COVID-19 Response Efforts Effective and End Dates
To help states respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the White House, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have invoked their emergency powers to authorize temporary flexibilities in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Congress’s legislative relief packages have provided additional federal support for state Medicaid programs, subject to certain conditions. The timeframes for these emergency measures are summarized in the chart, including the effective dates and expiration timelines dictated by law or agency guidance. This SHVS product has been updated to reflect the expiration of the PHE at the end of the day on May 11, 2023 and related guidance from CMS regarding the unwinding of certain Medicaid flexibilities. The document also includes a timeline of key Medicaid unwinding provisions included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
SHVS Resource Page: The No Surprises Act
SHVS is tracking the latest federal guidance related to implementation and oversight of the No Surprises Act (NSA), the comprehensive federal law banning balance bills in emergency and certain non-emergency settings beginning January 1, 2022. This resource page highlights the latest SHVS resources for states on federal NSA guidance and summarizes its implications for state regulators.
CMS Guidance to States on Resuming Public Health Program Operations Post the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
On December 22, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released long-awaited guidance to state Medicaid and CHIP agencies on resuming normal operations following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. This issue brief provides a high-level summary of the CMS guidance related to: (1) conducting redeterminations for Medicaid enrollees who were continuously enrolled; (2) terminating, or extending where appropriate, temporary flexibilities; and (3) developing a consumer and provider communication strategy.
Omnibus Funding Package with COVID-19 Relief, Health Care Extenders, and Surprise Billing Ban
After a dynamic few weeks of negotiations, President Trump signed into law on December 27, 2020 a nearly 6,000-page legislative package (The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021) that includes government appropriations through September 30, 2021; COVID-19 relief funding and targeted policy changes, a subset of which impact health programs; extensions of expiring health programs; a ban on surprise billing; and an amalgam of odds-and-ends health policy provisions. This analysis includes a summary of those health care provisions.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Unwinding Federal Medicaid Flexibilities: Issues and Considerations for States
States quickly mobilized to implement emergency federal authorities (e.g., Section 1135 waivers, 1915(c) Waiver Appendix K, emergency Section 1115 waivers) and state-level regulatory flexibilities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic; now they must determine which flexibilities to scale back or sustain, taking into account fiscal implications. The interaction of the stimulus package dates, the Public Health Emergency, and the President’s National Emergency Declaration, among other factors, are complex, and states are actively grappling with decision making regarding which flexibilities they need and want to keep, and how. This Excel workbook is intended to serve as a tool for states as they strategize and plan for the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, states can utilize this template to conduct both a primary analysis as they determine which flexibilities to unwind or maintain and a secondary analysis to plan for operational and implementation implications. The workbook has been updated to reflect the renewal of the Public Health Emergency as of October 2, 2020.
New Hampshire COVID-19 Directed Payment
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.
Public Charge Rule
On August 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule, Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds. The rule makes significant changes to the standards DHS will use to determine whether an immigrant is likely to become a “public charge”—a person dependent on the government for support—which will make it more difficult for certain immigrants to obtain lawful permanent residence (a green card) in the US. State
State Health and Value Strategies, in partnership with Manatt Health, has developed a variety of resources for states regarding the revised public charge rule and implications for states.
Protected: Materials for Supporting the ACA Markets and Marketplaces – A Small Group Convening
Materials and slides that were shared at the Small Group Convening that was held on September 12, 2018 in Philadelphia, PA.
IHS, Tribal Programs and Medicaid: Overview of New CMS Guidance
Recent guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded the circumstances under which states can receive full federal funding for services received through the Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal health facilities. This webinar, presented by the State Network team at Manatt Health, provided an overview of the CMS guidance, as well as the financial implications for states and tribes.
Webinar: Final 2017 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters and Letter to Federal Marketplace Issuers
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently published its final Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2017, as well as the final version of its 2017 letter to Qualified Health Plan (QHP) issuers participating in the federally-facilitated marketplace (FFM). The State Network team at Manatt Health led a webinar explaining this final rule and what it will mean for states.