CMS Expands Medicaid HCBS Retainer Payment From 30-Day To 90-Day Limit

On June 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded the duration of Medicaid retainer payments from the usual 30-day limit to up to three 30-day periods during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency. In ordinary times, such payments are intended to preserve staff capacity at home- and community-based services (HCBS) provider organizations when a participant is hospitalized or otherwise absent and not receiving services from the provider organization. States have also paid retainer payments during emergencies and natural disasters when individuals are unable to receive services. States can request that retainer payments . . .