CMS Prepares Disability and Aging Networks for End of Public Health Emergency

May 11, 2022 by Alexa Hornbeck
CMS Prepares Disability and Aging Networks for End of Public Health Emergency
Seniors gather for harp performance at nursing home in Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy of Ann via Flickr)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is preparing states to return to normal eligibility and enrollment operations after the public health emergency expires, with special attention on how the end of the PHE will impact those who are elderly and disabled. 

“We are taking a whole-of-government approach to planning for the eventual end of the Public Health Emergency, maximizing coverage retention and smoothing transitions to the marketplace,” said a spokesperson from CMS in an email to The Well News.

On Jan. 31, 2020 (retroactive to Jan. 27) former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar II declared the COVID-19 public health emergency, and indicated that declaration could only be extended for 90-days at a time.

In April of 2022 the HHS renewed the declaration of the PHE until July 15, which will extend any waivers and flexibilities put into place by states and commercial payers. 

CMS released guidance in March to help to prepare disability and aging networks and states for initiating eligibility renewals for all individuals enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP within 12 months of the eventual end of the PHE, and to complete renewals within 14 months. 

“To help consumers, including individuals with developmental disabilities, maintain coverage, the guidance also emphasizes current rules requiring states to provide a smooth transition to other options for those who may no longer be eligible for Medicaid or CHIP once the PHE eventually ends,” said the spokesperson from CMS. 

CMS has also provided additional resources on their unwinding page for disability and aging networks to prepare beneficiaries for the end of the PHE. 

“CMS has also been engaging extensively with stakeholders, including working with the Administration for Community Living, to reach the disability and aging networks, to obtain input on strategies and leverage relationships with beneficiaries and community partners,” said the spokesperson from CMS. 

The Disability and Aging Collaborative, which coordinates efforts to bring together disability and aging organizations, requests that CMS will give states more time to adjust to the changes after the PHE ends as part of the unwinding guidance.

The collaborative sent a letter to Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure in early March, requesting at least 120 days of notice for when HHS intends to end the PHE to prevent individuals from wrongly being lifted from benefits. 

To prepare disability and aging networks for the end of the PHE the ACL also released a fact sheet in April to try to prepare older adults and people with disabilities for disruptions in services that could impact current enrollees at the end of the PHE. 

The fact sheet provides new materials from CMS, and five points of guidance on how disability and aging networks should prepare for eligibility determinations. 

The guidance from ACL recommends that Medicaid beneficiaries keep their contact information up-to-date, and check their mail for any Medicaid forms received. It also recommends that disability and aging networks make all renewal forms and notices accessible to people with limited English proficiency and people with disabilities.

The guidance instructs disability and aging networks to make sure that people who are no longer eligible for Medicaid will have other coverage options, and can enroll outside of the regular enrollment period. It also requests that certain individuals receive special counseling, including information on Medicare enrollment periods, penalties, and Medicare Advantage options. 

Medicaid beneficiaries who had their benefits mistakenly terminated or their eligibility reduced will also have the right to appeal through a fair hearing to contest the Medicaid agency’s decision, according to the fact sheet.

Under the Older Americans Act, search tools like the eldercare locator, are available for individuals over the age of 60 to receive free legal services.

According to the guidance, the Disability Information and Access Line can assist individuals living with disabilities in finding legal aid organizations, and protection and advocacy systems which can assist them.

The guidance warns that disability and aging networks should prepare for surges in services, as the end of the PHE may lead to an increase in utilization of services provided by the Older Americans Act programs, Centers for Independent Living, and the Assistive Technology Act programs and other ACL grantees.

Alexa can be reached at [email protected] 

A+
a-
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • health
  • public health emergency
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Health

    Biden Announcing New Rule to Protect Consumers Who Purchase Short-Term Health Insurance Plans

    President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A... Read More

    President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A new rule finalized by the Democratic president's administration will limit these plans to just three months. And the plans can only be renewed for a maximum... Read More

    March 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    One-Time Treatment Could Revitalize Immune Systems in the Elderly

    PALO ALTO, Calif. — A new study suggests that a one-time treatment that modulates the composition of a type of... Read More

    PALO ALTO, Calif. — A new study suggests that a one-time treatment that modulates the composition of a type of immune cell could potentially revitalize the immune systems of the elderly, helping their bodies better react to viral and bacterial threats. The research was carried out... Read More

    March 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Insurers to Expand Access to ‘Navigation Services’ for Cancer Patients

    WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients and their families navigate the myriad challenges that might arise during treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses. The insurers involved are Aetna; Blue Cross Blue... Read More

    Five Takeaways From the Abortion Pill Case Before US Supreme Court

    WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday did not appear ready to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone,... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday did not appear ready to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone, in a case that could have far-reaching implications for millions of American women and for scores of drugs regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. It's... Read More

    Biden and Harris Argue Democrats Will Preserve Health Care and Republicans Would Take It Away

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in... Read More

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in the battleground state of North Carolina, arguing that Democrats like themselves would preserve access to care while Republicans would reverse gains made over the past decade... Read More

    March 26, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Supreme Court Skeptical of Ban on Abortion Pill Mifepristone

    WASHINGTON — A hearing Tuesday before the Supreme Court indicated a majority of the justices want to maintain women’s access... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A hearing Tuesday before the Supreme Court indicated a majority of the justices want to maintain women’s access to the abortion pill mifepristone despite objections from anti-abortion activists. The doctors and organizations who sued argued the Food and Drug Administration was wrong in granting... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top