Potential Signal from CMS That It Will Direct Emergency Funds to Medicaid Providers

In a significant but still very preliminary development, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) signaled it could be searching for ways to include Medicaid providers in future disbursements from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. The Emergency Fund, created by the CARES Act and administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with help from CMS, gives money to essential health services to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. ANCOR has been urgently advocating for HHS to recognize the need for Medicaid disability supports to receive these funds.

Specifically, CMS asked all State Medicaid Directors to share provider-level 2018 and 2019 Medicaid (fee-for-service and managed care) revenue data (inclusive of all Medicaid payments) and provider payment information for all Medicaid participating providers. While this is a huge development and the start of information gathering, it is NOT an indication of a methodology or process for payment to disability supports.

While this is a critical time for you to keep taking action, ANCOR encourages individual providers NOT to individually contact their state Medicaid disability services directors, nor to submit individual information before you are specifically requested to do so, as it could delay or frustrate the process.  Please continue your advocacy through Action Alerts, Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor, and setting up calls with your members of Congress. Please email Doris Parfaite-Claude, Federal Advocacy and Research Manager, at [email protected] if you need assistance with these items.