SPA/1915 approval process and the 1115 approval process

On March 14th, 2017, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a letter to Governors highlighting key areas for improved collaboration with states and more effective Medicaid program management.  In the letter, CMS committed to engaging with states to make state plan amendment (SPA) and waiver reviews and approvals more transparent, efficient, and less burdensome.  Today, CMS released two information bulletins to outline activities they will undertake to improve the transparency and efficiency of the SPA/1915 approval process and the 1115 approval process. The “State Plan Amendment and 1915 Waiver Process Improvements to Improve Transparency and Efficiency and Reduce Burden” bulletin and the “Section 1115 Demonstration Process Improvements” bulletin are both online at https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/federal-policy-guidance.html.