Increased Medicaid rates for Maryland’s home and community-based services (HCBS) are going into effect, the Department of Health (MDH) announced this week. HCBS programs provide patient-centered care to individuals with physical, intellectual, and developmental diabetes and behavioral health needs. The HCBS increases are as follows: A 5.5 % rate increase for most HCBS … Read more
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) on Tuesday published five final policy concept papers in preparation for its upcoming Medicaid waiver renewal. The concept papers, says OHA, will form the basis of the state’s 1115 waiver application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The new 5-year waiver will be in effect from 2022–2027. … Read more
Virginia’s reinsurance program is projected to reduce premium rates by 15.6% in the individual market starting in 2023, Commissioner of Insurance Scott White told legislators at last week’s Joint Subcommittee for Health and Human Resources Oversight meeting. That’s contingent on the approval of the 1332 State Innovation Waiver , which is due to the Centers … Read more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the approval of the 2023 minimum health care coverage Colorado benchmark health insurance plan on Tuesday. The plan establishes the minimum standards for essential health benefits (EHBs) in Colorado for small group plans — for employers with less than 100 employees — and individual plans. The … Read more
The Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) is currently preparing for the impending end of the federal public health emergency (PHE) declaration, which will instigate a lengthy eligibility redetermination process for one in five Virginians who currently benefit from Medicaid. DMAS Director Karen Kimsey provided an update on the organization’s preparation for potential … Read more
Safety net funding, the allocation of federal dollars, COVID-19’s impact on Medicaid — a panel of experts from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) discussed all of this and more at last month’s 2021 North Texas State of Reform Health Policy Conference. Stephanie Stephens, HHSC’s Medicaid director, Sonja Gaines, the agency’s deputy executive … Read more
We were honored to have the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Commissioner Cecile Young join us Thursday as the Morning Keynote at our 2021 North Texas State of Reform Health Policy Conference. Young spoke with State of Reform Host DJ Wilson about the future of Texas Medicaid, the state’s relationship with the federal … Read more
The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) announced Thursday it received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Colorado Joint Budget Committee for its $530 million Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) spending plan. In a statement released Thursday, Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera emphasized the support … Read more
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) announces acceptance of the offer made by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program, the Uniform Hospital Rate Increase Program (UHRIP), and the Quality Incentive Payment Program (QIPP) for Fiscal Year 2022. HHSC also commits to … Read more
Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), announced that it is providing additional funding to 13 states, including Colorado, in support of Affordable Care Act Section 1332 reinsurance waivers. This additional funding of nearly $50 million for Colorado’s Reinsurance Program is a … Read more