NEWS ALERT
April 7, 2020
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 7, 2020 at 4:30 PM.
CMS
Approves Additional State Medicaid Waivers and Amendments to Give States
Flexibility to Address Coronavirus Pandemic
CMS continues to deliver urgent
regulatory relief to ensure States can quickly and effectively care for their
most vulnerable citizens during the COVID-19 crisis. For the first time,
CMS has approved Medicaid Disaster Amendments that bring disaster relief to
Arizona, Alabama, and Minnesota to ensure that states have the tools they
need to combat COVID-19 through a wide variety of state plan
flexibilities. CMS also authorized amendments to ensure emergency
flexibilities in programs that care for the elderly and people with
disabilities, including most recently in Arizona, North Carolina, and South
Dakota. These approved flexibilities support President Trump’s commitment
to a COVID-19 response that is locally executed, state managed, and
federally supported.
All told, CMS has approved 49 emergency waivers, which now
includes Michigan, Maine, Nevada, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, 21 State
Amendments, and 3 Medicaid Disaster Amendments in record time. States
are using a toolkit
CMS developed to expedite the application and approval of
Medicaid state waivers and State Plan Amendments.
Dear
Clinician Letter
CMS posted a letter to clinicians
that outlines a summary of actions CMS has taken to ensure clinicians have
maximum flexibility to reduce unnecessary barriers to providing patient
care during the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19. The summary includes
information about telehealth and virtual visits, accelerated and advanced payments,
and recent waiver information.
Non-Emergent,
Elective Medical Services and Treatment Recommendations
CMS recently updated recommendations
to postpone non-essential surgeries and other procedures to conserve
critical healthcare resources and limit exposure of patients and staff to
COVID-19. Developed in collaboration with medical societies and
associations, the recommendations outline a tiered approach for state and
local officials, clinicians, and delivery systems to consider to prioritize
services and care to those who require emergent or urgent attention to save
a life, manage severe disease, or avoid further harms from an underlying
condition.
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Contact: CMS
Media Relations
Get CMS news at cms.gov/newsroom, sign up for CMS news via
email and follow
CMS on Twitter CMS Administrator @SeemaCMS, @CMSgov, and @CMSgovPress.
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