GAO Advises CMS To Adopt Stricter Conflict Of Interest Requirements For Medicaid HCBS

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommends that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adopt stricter conflict of interest requirements for state Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS) programs to avoid or mitigate conflicts related to determining functional eligibility and service plan development. The requirements should apply to both HCBS provider organizations and to the managed care plans that provide HCBS assessments. The recommendations come after the GAO found that current conflict of interest requirements do not cover all types of HCBS programs and that states do not always follow CMS’s guidance that prohibits certain . . .