CMS extends Medicaid home and community-based settings transition period

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday extended until March 17, 2022 the transition period for states to demonstrate compliance with new Medicaid criteria for home and community-based settings. “Medicaid programs are strongest when states have time to engage with beneficiaries and their families to ensure these programs fit their choices and needs,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “Extending the HCBS compliance period by three years allows states to work more closely with those they serve, so they can increase the quality of care and minimize the potential for unnecessary disruption in services.” In a March letter to governors, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Verma outlined several areas where they plan to work with states to improve the Medicaid program, which included improving timelines and processes for implementing the HCBS criteria.