Texas lawmakers to CMS: Undo waiver decision

Congressional leaders from Texas asked CMS to overturn its rescission of a waiver that has put about $11 billion in federal Medicaid funding in limbo.

In an April 27 letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, the Texas Congressional Delegation said CMS' decision to revoke the waiver "threatens the security of the state's Medicaid program, disrespects continuity of this agreement, and erodes the partnership between the state and CMS."

CMS revoked its approval of the 10-year waiver extension in an April 16 notice to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. CMS argued that under the previous administration — which approved Texas' waiver to extend parts of its Medicaid program through September 2030 — CMS and Texas failed to adhere to public comment period requirements in the approval process. CMS said the public comment period is necessary for stakeholders to share feedback.

The Texas lawmakers argued the time needed to negotiate a new waiver will detract from other health priorities at the state and federal level, and urged CMS to reconsider its decision in addition to working "closely with Texas going forward." 

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