The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has revised
QSO-22-15-NH & NLTC & LSC:
Update to COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Specific Providers to provide more information related to waivers of the Nurse Aide Training Competency and Evaluation requirements.
CMS has created a formalized process to submit a request for a time-limited waiver via two options:
- Individual Facility Waiver: When there are localized barriers to training/testing in a state or county not otherwise covered by a waiver, facilities may request a waiver by providing documentation of the barriers. The documentation must include information demonstrating that the aide(s) have attempted to become certified (e.g., enrollment in training or testing), but the NATCEP entity cannot accommodate the applicant(s) at this time.
- Statewide or County Waiver: When there are widespread barriers to training/testing that are statewide or in a particular county within a state, the state agency may submit a request for the waiver for the affected jurisdiction. The state agency must provide documentation of the status of their NATCEP program and a plan for remedying the situation.
State agencies or facilities should submit waiver requests through
this CMS portal.
CMS indicated a state or facility cannot attain or retain a waiver longer than the declaration of a public health emergency (PHE), and it will grant these waivers for a timeframe that is as short as possible, only while the declaration of a COVID-19 PHE is still in effect. If the PHE ends during or before the granted period of waiver for a facility or a state or a county, the waiver also ends.