The requirements, which are part of a rule adopted during former president Barack Obama’s administration, ensure states have a plan to deliver care to Medicaid beneficiaries in home and community-based settings, reports Kaiser Health News. They also require states offer opportunities for Medicaid patients to take part in community life, control their own finances and look for a job in competitive settings, according to KHN.
Under the extension, which applies to settings operating before March 17, 2014, states must comply with the requirements by March 17, 2022, CMS said in a news release.
CMS said it decided to grant an extension to ensure state compliance is “collaborative, transparent and timely.”
“Medicaid programs are strongest when states have time to engage with beneficiaries and their families to ensure these programs fit their choices and needs,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in the release. “Extending the HCBS compliance period by three years allows states to work more closely with those they serve, so they can increase the quality of care and minimize the potential for unnecessary disruption in services.”
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