Agencies issue guidance on ACA State Innovation Waivers

The departments of Health and Human Services and the Treasury today issued guidance explaining how they will evaluate applications for State Innovation Waivers under Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act, which allows states to receive federal funding to implement alternative models of health coverage beginning in 2017. The guidance outlines how the Secretaries will evaluate waiver applications in six major areas: coverage, affordability, comprehensiveness of health benefits, deficit neutrality, impact on other programs (such as Medicaid and 1115 waivers), and federal funding to states. The guidance further defines the data, analytics and operational requirements states’ waiver applications must include. Comments on the guidance may be submitted at any time. For more information on Section 1332 waivers, visit www.cms.gov.