CMS releases rule implementing new Medicaid renewal enforcement authorities

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Dec. 4 released an interim final rule implementing new enforcement authorities the agency will use if states fail to comply with new reporting requirements as they restore Medicaid eligibility and enrollment operations following the end of the Medicaid continuous enrollment condition. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 gave CMS new enforcement authority to require states to submit a corrective action plan, suspend disenrollments from Medicaid for procedural reasons, impose civil money penalties, and apply a reduction to the state-specific Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for failure to meet reporting requirements. The rule takes effect Dec. 6 with comments accepted through Feb. 2.