The Trump administration is signaling its priorities for Medicaid, including fast-tracking approval of waiver and demonstration project extensions.
In a letter to governors, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma outline the key areas the administration wants to work on with states. The letter describes "a new era" where states have more freedom to design programs to meet the diverse needs of their populations.
Included as a priority in the letter is making the state plan amendment process "more transparent, efficient, and less burdensome," including facilitating expedited review of waivers. The letter indicates that CMS will be more likely to approve waiver programs that have already been approved in another state. The letter also states that CMS will provide extra time for states to comply with the 2014 Home and Community-Based Services Rule.
Other priorities included in the letter are supporting innovative approaches to increasing employment and community engagement, aligning Medicaid with private insurance, and providing states with more tools to address the opioid crisis.
To read the letter, click here.
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