Newsletters

04.24.24

CMMI’s Innovations in Behavioral Health: Promoting Physical and Mental Well-being

On January 18, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Innovation Center (CMMI) announced Innovations in Behavioral Health (IBH), a new eight-year model focused on adult Medicaid and Medicare enrollees with moderate to severe mental health conditions and substance use ...


10.02.23

North Carolina Expands Medicaid

On December 1, 2023, North Carolina will become the 40th state to implement Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), extending Medicaid eligibility to more than 600,000 adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL).


09.01.22

CMS Approves Renewal of Vermont’s 1115 Demonstration

On June 28, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved a five-and-a-half-year renewal of Vermont’s Global Commitment to Health Section 1115 demonstration.


07.28.22

Evolving Issues in Designing Local, Whole-Person Care Management Programs in Medicaid

Many state Medicaid programs have prioritized developing and expanding “local, whole-person care management” programs, believing that providing integrated care management closer to where enrollees live and obtain care will be more successful in helping them navigate the health care ...


06.09.20

COVID-19 Prompts Expanded Telehealth Reimbursement for FQHCs and RHCs

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create barriers to in-person care, there has been increased focus on enabling the delivery of healthcare services through telehealth.


05.22.20

New York Submits COVID-19 1115 Waiver Application

On May 11, 2020, New York State submitted a COVID-19 1115 waiver application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), leveraging the opportunity to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) as described in the March 22, 2020, State Medicaid Director letter and template ...


12.05.19

CMS Approves Washington, DC’s IMD Waiver for Mental Health

On November 6, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Washington, DC’s Behavioral Health Transformation Demonstration, which waives the institution for mental diseases (IMD) exclusion1 for short-term stays in IMDs for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) ...


06.28.19

Utah Seeks Capped Spending, Partial Expansion with Enhanced Match

On May 31, 2019, Utah released a draft Section 1115 waiver application, the Per Capita Cap Demonstration, for public comment.


03.25.19

New Medicaid Briefing Series: Priority Issues for State Lawmakers

Where  the agency and its leadership sit within state government can enable or impede the Medicaid director’s authority to make critical decisions about strategy, services and budget.


09.27.18

Arkansas’s Medicaid Work Requirement Challenged as Thousands Lose Coverage

During the first half of 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) granted four states—Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky and New Hampshire—Section 1115 waivers permitting them to condition Medicaid coverage for certain enrollees on work or community engagement requirements.