Noteworthy
12/10/2012
· States
cannot partially expand their Medicaid programs and get full federal funding
says HHS in an FAQ
provided by Health and Human Service’s Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a
letter sent to governors.
o
PPACA
does not provide for a phased-in or partial expansion and HHS will not consider
a partial expansions for populations eligible for the 100 percent matching rate
in 2014 through 2016.
o
A
state may propose a demonstration that includes a partial expansion and HHS would
consider it if it furthers the purposes of the program, subject to the regular
federal matching rate.
·
The
administration no longer supports a Medicaid blended FMAP, says the HHS FAQ
which was released today.
o
As
the Medicaid expansion is now-voluntary, HHS notes, “[t]he Supreme Court
decision has made the higher matching rates available in the Affordable Care
Act for the new groups covered even more important to incentivize states to
expand Medicaid coverage.”
· Conditional
approval has been provided to six State-based Exchange plans submitted by
Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Oregon and Washington.
· The
U.S. Chamber of Commerce requested
an extension of the comment period for the three exchange-related rules
released in late November.
o
The
Chamber has asked for an extension of the 30-day comment period of three
rules, “especially in light of their length and complexity”:
§
Standards Relating to Essential Health Benefits, Actuarial
Value, and Accreditation;
§
Health Insurance Market Rules; Rate Review; and
§
HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2014,
which have comment period
deadlines currently of December 26th, December 26th and December 31st
respectively.
o
The
Chamber notes that CMS signed off on these proposed rules much earlier than
their post-election release, “raise[s] specific questions about the abnormal process
the administration has been using throughout the implementation of the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).”
