By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    learn to recognize and treat yeast infections
    Most Commonly Asked Questions About Yeast Infections
    November 17, 2021
    Advanced lung cancer diagnosis systems used by doctors
    Advanced Lung Cancer Diagnosis Systems Used by Doctors
    March 6, 2022
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    June 13, 2022
    Latest News
    Health Benefits of Taking a Vacation to Reduce Your Stress
    September 27, 2023
    First Aid Training Enhancing Workplace Health and Safety
    September 25, 2023
    Beyond the Clinic: Medical Surveys Are a Roadmap to Passive Income for Doctors
    September 23, 2023
    5 Self-Care Habits to Help You Live an A+ Life
    September 21, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Why We Have So Few Clinical Cannabis Studies, and Why We Need More
    February 14, 2018
    Minimally Invasive Nature Of Transcatheter Heart Valve Spurs Its Demand
    February 26, 2020
    Can CBD Oil Treat Anxiety? Facts, Research and Precautions
    September 28, 2020
    Latest News
    Job Seekers with Disabilities Should at Health Insurance Benefits
    September 12, 2023
    Reasons That Drug Prices Are Rising to Unsustainable Levels
    September 12, 2023
    How Revenue Lifecycle Management Helps Healthcare Providers to Optimize Business Operations
    September 6, 2023
    The Hidden Benefits of Practice Exams for Medical Professionals
    September 6, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: What To Know About Medicaid And The COVID-19 Pandemic
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Covid-19 > What To Know About Medicaid And The COVID-19 Pandemic
Covid-19

What To Know About Medicaid And The COVID-19 Pandemic

MyBlogs
Last updated: 2021/10/19 at 4:47 PM
MyBlogs
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt our normal way of life and experts suggest that things are not likely to change in the foreseeable future. At times like these, the importance of public healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid is paramount. In response to the unique challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Congress have already bolstered the Medicaid program significantly. In this brief post, we take a look at the new law and important Medicaid facts for the benefit of millions of consumers.

The Response of the CMS:

Many experts have claimed in the past that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) didn?t have enough flexibility to deal with immediate threats to public health.  The HHS realized this shortcoming in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The response from Congress came in the form of enactment of the Social Security Act?s section 135.  This new section empowered the HHS Secretary to waive certain provisions of the Medicaid and Medicare programs. This statute gets triggered under two circumstances. The first one is the declaration of a national emergency or disaster by the President of the United States. The second is the declaration of a public health emergency by the Secretary of HHS.

In the present context, a public health emergency was declared by the HHS Secretary Alex Azar on January 31, in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The other leg of the statute was triggered when President Trump declared a national emergency on March 13.

More Read

health benefits of being outdoors

The Many Health Benefits of Being Outdoors

Who Should Get the COVID-19 Antibody Test Panel?
How to Take Advantage of Open Enrollment in Medicare
A Guide To Building A Well-Designed Field Hospital During COVID-19
Top 7 Tips to Save Money on Your Diabetic Medical Care

The most important authority provided to the HHS by section 135 is the power to waive provisions of Medicaid and Medicare with respect to seven discrete provisions of law. It allows the HHS Secretary to waive provider licensure requirements and provide a permit for providers to bill Medicaid, even if such providers are not enrolled in the Medicaid program of a particular state.  The HHS is also entitled to modify the timelines and deadlines for performing certain activities. CMS issued its first waiver on March 17, for the state of Florida. Over the last couple of months, several other states have also requested and received such a waiver.

It is important to note that § 1135 waivers are not enough to solve all the challenges faced by a state Medicaid program under the current scenario. In the near future, it is extremely likely that additional issues will be encountered by the states. Fortunately, CMS has adequate flexibility in terms of waiving several other operational requirements of the Medicaid program.

The New Pandemic Law:

To address the pandemic, an emergency supplemental appropriations bill was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump on March 5.  On March 13, a second emergency supplemental bill (H.R. 6201) was passed by the House of Representatives. This bill has several Medicaid provisions worth mentioning.

First and foremost, as per H.R. 6201, testing for COVID-19 has been included as a mandatory benefit under the Medicaid program. This means that this testing is not an optional benefit, and must be covered by all state Medicaid plans. The statute also specifies that cost-sharing or deductibles for testing for the virus can?t be imposed by the states, notwithstanding the general authority of a state Medicaid program to permit cost-sharing for certain Medicaid benefits as well as beneficiaries.

During the period of the national emergency, the statute also allows the state Medicaid programs to cover uninsured individuals for testing for COVID-19. This applies even to individuals that do not otherwise qualify for Medicaid.  Full funding for this benefit has been provided by Congress.

The new law has also increased the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for each state by 6.2 percentages throughout the national emergency. However, certain conditions have been imposed on states for accessing the higher FMAP rate.

We hope the details shared in this discussion will help the readers in these tough times. Please do take good care of yourself and stay safe.

TAGGED: covid-19, Health Benefits, Medicaid, medical, medical care, Medicare, social support services, supplement

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
MyBlogs May 18, 2020
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
By MyBlogs
Follow:
Silvia Watson is a freelance content writer. She has written many good and informative articles on different categories. She is a featured author at various authoritative blogs in the health and fitness industry and currently associated as a blogger with  https://www.countingsheep.net/
Previous Article The Best Investments To Make In Your Health This Year
Next Article 6 Surprising Reasons You Might Consider Naturopathy Treatment

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

Andropause hormonal decline
The Benefits of TRT for Andropause and Hormonal Decline
Wellness September 28, 2023
Cancer Prevention
The Importance of Lipoma Examination in Cancer Prevention
Cancer September 28, 2023
dental implant
Cost Analysis of Dental Implants in Australia
Dental health September 28, 2023
View,Of,Niagara,Falls,In,Autumn
Health Benefits of Taking a Vacation to Reduce Your Stress
Health September 27, 2023

You Might also Like

health benefits of supportive underwear
News

The Surprising Health Benefits of Supportive Underwear for Men

August 2, 2023
What To Do If You Suspect Medical Malpractice 
Health

What To Do If You Suspect Medical Malpractice 

April 21, 2023
Medicare eligility and coverage
News

Demystifying Medicare: Understanding Coverage and Eligibility

April 4, 2023
Covid-19

Disinfection Options To Consider In The New Normal

March 20, 2023
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US
© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?