The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued a Health Plan Management System memo to all Medicare Advantage Organizations and Medicare-Medicaid Plans to strongly encourage them to waive or relax plan prior authorization requirements and utilization management processes to facilitate the movement of patients from general acute-care hospitals to post-acute care and other clinically-appropriate settings, including skilled nursing facilities, long-term care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and home health agencies.

CMS in the memo highlights the recent surge of the COVID-19 delta variant and increased hospitalizations across the country and notes that “the ability of hospitals to transfer patients to appropriate levels of care without unnecessary delays or administrative burdens is critical to ensuring that hospitals have open acute-care beds to treat patients requiring emergent care.” The AHA continues to work with both CMS and MAOs to encourage adoption of these waivers.

Related News Articles

Headline
The AHA June 29 sent a letter to senators urging them to amend the budget reconciliation bill before its final passage in the Senate. The Senate version of the…
Headline
The latest video in the AHA’s series “Medicaid: Real Lives, Real Care” features Melissa Fannon-Wisner, DNP, nurse educator and nurse practitioner at Valley…
Headline
In a Q&A, Becky Pletzer, a social worker and mother, explains how critical Medicaid has been to support her son with disabilities, and why cuts to the…
Blog
Public
A Q&A with Becky Pletzer, social worker and parent to a son with disabilities Q: Can you tell me about yourself and your family?A: I’m Dr. Becky…
Headline
A new advertisement by the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare highlights President Trump’s comments to “love and cherish” and “not touch” the…
Headline
Kevin McEwan, DNP, R.N., chief nursing officer at Madison Memorial Hospital, shares how Medicaid provides vital behavioral health and maternal and child care…