Today, in keeping with its commitment
to ensure states have the necessary tools to respond to the 2019 Novel
Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) approved an additional seven state Medicaid waiver requests
under Section 1135 of the Social Security Act (Act), bringing the total
number of approved Section 1135 waivers for states to twenty three. The
waivers were approved within days of states’ submitting them, with average
approval time taking less than seven calendar days. The waivers offer
states new flexibilities to focus their resources on combatting the
outbreak and providing the best possible care to their Medicaid
beneficiaries. These waivers support President Trump’s commitment to
operating a COVID-19 response that is locally executed, state managed and
federally supported. All Section 1135 approval letters will be posted here as they are issued.
CMS provides guidance to states on
how to apply for Section 1135 waivers through the Medicaid Disaster
Response Tool Kit, which can be found here. To further the agency’s efforts, CMS has
developed checklists
and tools to expedite requests and approvals for waivers and other
commonly requested flexibilities. CMS will continue to expeditiously
review and approve, as appropriate, all Section 1135 waivers and other
requests that the agency receives to ensure that we are providing our state
partners with the maximum flexibility they need to care for their Medicaid
beneficiaries during the public health emergency.
These waivers, and earlier CMS
actions in response to COVID-19, are 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, visit www.coronavirus.gov.
For a complete and updated list of CMS actions, and other information
specific to CMS, please visit the Current
Emergencies Website. Additionally, CMS has launched a
dedicated, Medicaid.gov,
COVID-19 resource page that will be continually updated with
relevant information.
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