Here is a summary of recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) actions taken in response to the COVID-19 virus, as part of the ongoing White House Task Force efforts. To keep up with the important work the Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19, click here www.coronavirus.gov. For information specific to CMS, please visit the CMS News Room and Current Emergencies Website. CMS updates these resources on an ongoing basis throughout the day; the information below is current as of April 2, 2020 at 12:00 PM EST.
CMS Approves Additional State Medicaid Waivers and Amendments to Give States Flexibility to Address Coronavirus Pandemic
CMS approved its 41st state Medicaid waiver delivering urgent regulatory relief to ensure States can quickly and effectively care for their most vulnerable citizens. In light of the urgent and evolving needs of states during the COVID-19 crisis, CMS developed a toolkit to facilitate expedited application and approval of State waivers requests in record time. The waivers support President Trump’s commitment to a COVID-19 response that is locally executed, state managed, and federally supported. Recently approved states include Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
CMS also approved four more state waiver amendment requests in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Kansas to give emergency flexibilities in their programs that care for the elderly and people with disabilities, bringing the total to 16 approvals across 14 states.
1915(c) Appendix K Waivers
Medicaid Disaster State Plan Amendment Approved for Arizona
CMS allows states to request temporary changes to their Medicaid programs that can be implemented during a disaster or public health emergency. Temporary adjustments can be made to enrollment and redetermination policies and to cost-sharing requirements for people with Medicaid living and/or working in Governor- or federally-declared disaster areas or areas impacted by a public health emergency. Recently, CMS approved Arizona’s Medicaid Disaster State Plan Amendment.
Medicaid State Plan Amendments
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