Medicaid

On Wednesday, June, 15, 2016, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released the March 2016 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP. The authorizing statute of MACPAC requires the commission to submit a report to Congress by March 15 and June 15 each year. The report discusses financial and spending analyses as well as functional assessment tools that Medicaid programs use to determine eligibility and create specific care plans.

ADvancing States has released the association’s 2016 policy priorities. The priorities document outlines issues and recommendations regarding a wide range of health and human services programs important to older adults and people with disabilities. These include issues such as: • Implementation of the Older Americans Act reauthorization; • Medicaid LTSS innovations; • Support for caregivers; and • Employment for people with disabilities •

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their monthly report for March 2016 on Medicaid and CHIP application, eligibility determination, and enrollment data. States provides data to CMS on factors related to key application, eligibility and enrollment processes using the Medicaid and CHIP Performance Indicator Project. The data is then used to inform CMS on the operations of the programs in each state and to share state performance data publicly.

The annual 2014 Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Report created by the Division of Managed Care Plans and the Data and Systems Group in the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services at CMS, with assistance from Mathematica Policy Research, was released this week. Data on Medicaid enrollment is collected from every state, territory, and the District of Columbia, and is broken down into categories by program, population, and state. The report provides tables with nationwide data and data by state.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their monthly report for February 2016 on Medicaid and CHIP application, eligibility determination, and enrollment data. States provides data to CMS on factors related to key application, eligibility and enrollment processes using the Medicaid and CHIP Performance Indicator Project. The data is then used to inform CMS on the operations of the programs in each state and to share state performance data publicly.

The Kaiser Commission of Medicaid and the Uninsured published an issue brief on the system design of Medicaid's current home and community-based (HCBS) programs.

On Friday, April 8, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule in the Federal Register to extend the deadline to October 1, 2016, for state submissions of the access monitoring review plan to CMS. The deadline was originally set for July 1, 2016. CMS published the final rule with comment period, Medicaid Program; Methods for Assuring Access to Covered Medicaid Services, on November 2, 2015.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Community First Choice (CFC) Final Report to Congress. This CFC benefit allows states the option of adding home and community-based attendant services and supports to their State plans. The CFC report is required by the Affordable Care Act. The findings from four states that have implemented the Community First Choice benefit -- California, Montana, Maryland, and Oregon-- are described in the report

On March 15, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission released the March 2016 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP. The authorizing statute of MACPAC requires the commission to submit a report to Congress by March 15 and June 15 each year. This report focuses on three aspects of Medicare: Support for safety-net hospitals; delivery of care for people with behavioral health conditions; and coverage for low and moderate income children.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their monthly report for December 2015 on Medicaid and CHIP application, eligibility determination, and enrollment data. States provides data to CMS on factors related to key application, eligibility and enrollment processes using the Medicaid and CHIP Performance Indicator Project. The data is then used to inform CMS on the operations of the programs in each state and to share state performance data publicly.