34 States Approved For Medicaid 1135 Waivers During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

On March 27, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it had approved requests from 34 states for Medicaid waiver requests under Section 1135 to give states tools to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency declared on March 13, 2020. The waivers offer relief on Medicaid prior authorization (PA) and provider organization enrollment requirements, and extend timelines for fair hearings and appeals. The waivers suspend certain nursing home Pre-Admission Screening and Annual Resident Reviews (PASRR), allowing reimbursement to provider organizations for care delivered in alternative settings due to facility evacuations. States could also request . . .