Public Health Emergency
- Overview: CMS has ramped up communications with stakeholder partners to begin raising awareness and preparing for the eventual unwinding of the Public Health Emergency (PHE).
- Why This Matters: When the PHE ends, states will be required to redetermine eligibility for all people enrolled in Medicaid. This process is referred to as the “unwinding” in the Medicaid and CHIP programs.
- Resources:
- HHS has created a PHE Unwinding homepage with guidance and resources to support states and other partners as they prepare for the eventual expiration of the COVID-19 PHE.
- HHS released a letter to Governors regarding the waivers and flexibilities that will expire with the end of the PHE and directed states to begin planning for their 12-month unwinding process.
- AHCA/NCAL will offer a webinar on the contents of the site to help states and members understand how to navigate and use the information.
MACPAC June 2022 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP
- Overview: The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released its June 2022 Report to Congress. The six chapters cover monitoring access to care, bolstering oversight of managed care payments, enhancing access to adult vaccines, encouraging behavioral health providers to utilize health information technology (IT), mandating integrated care for dually-eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and improving health equity in Medicaid.
- Resources: View an overview and the report here.
MACPAC Response to CMS RFI on Medicaid Minimum Staffing Requirements in LTC Facilities
- Overview: MACPAC responded to CMS’ RFI for establishing minimum staffing ratios for nursing facilities. In the RFI, CMS requested information from stakeholders to learn more about what facility factors should be considered when establishing staffing standards and what can be learned from states’ experiences with minimum staffing requirements.
- Resources: View an overview and the response letter here.