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 3, 2020 at 10:00 AM.
Trump Administration
Issues Key Recommendations to Nursing Homes, State and
Local Governments
Recently, CMS, in
consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
issued critical recommendations to state and local governments, as well
as nursing homes, to help mitigate the spread of the 2019 Novel
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in nursing homes. The recommendations build on
and strengthen recent guidance from CMS and CDC related to effective
implementation of longstanding infection control procedures.
CMS Approves Additional
State Medicaid Waivers and Amendments to Give States Flexibility to
Address Coronavirus Pandemic
CMS approved its 44th
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 Alaska, Arkansas, and
Nebraska.
CMS also approved one
more state waiver amendment requests for California to give emergency
flexibilities in their programs that care for the elderly and people
with disabilities, bringing the total to 17 approvals across 15 states.
Medicare and Telehealth
Services Blog
The Social Security
Administration (SSA) featured a guest blog by CMS Administrator, Seema
Verma with important information on Medicare coverage and recently
expanded coverage of telehealth services. CMS actions protect
beneficiaries while maintaining trusted access to care in the face of
the coronavirus pandemic.
Medicaid Telehealth
Flexibilities for Rural Health Care Substance Use Disorder
CMS released an
Informational Bulletin to states that explains how states can use
telehealth delivery methods to expand access to Medicaid services,
including substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and services. The
guidance outlines how telehealth may be used to service rural
communities, high-risk individuals, school-based health centers and SUD
programs. It provides information about Medicaid coverage and
reimbursement of SUD treatment services and supports CMS actions in
response to the COVID-19 virus as well as the opioid epidemic.
Updates Available to
Medicaid and CHIP Frequently Asked Questions
CMS issued additional
Frequently Asked Questions for State Medicaid and Children’s Health
Insurance Program (CHIP) agencies to aid states in their response to
the COVID-19 outbreak. Topics include: emergency preparedness and
response; flexibilities around eligibility and enrollment; benefits,
premiums and cost sharing; financing; managed care; fair hearings;
health information exchanges; and COVID-19 T-MSIS coding guidance.
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