Medicaid home-and community-based services: evaluating COVID-19 response could help CMS prepare for future emergencies : report to Congressional committees
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Contributor(s):
- United States. Government Accountability Office. issuing body. United States. Congress. issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, September 2021
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- COVID-19 Government Regulation Medicaid -- organization & administration Public Health -- legislation & jurisprudence United States Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (U.S.)
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Why GAO did this study. During emergencies, including COVID19, CMS may approve certain temporary changes to states’ Medicaid programs to ensure access to care. These changes are critical to beneficiaries who rely on HCBS to perform daily activities, such as eating, and who may face greater risk of COVID-19. The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO to report on its ongoing COVID-19 monitoring and oversight efforts. In addition, GAO was asked to examine temporary changes to Medicaid in response to COVID-19. This report (1) describes temporary changes to Medicaid HCBS programs, including selected states’ experience in making these changes; and (2) examines CMS’s monitoring and evaluation of the effects of those changes. GAO reviewed documentation of temporary changes approved by CMS and relevant CMS policies, procedures, and analyses. GAO also interviewed Medicaid officials from CMS and six states selected based on variation in Medicaid expenditures and geographic region. GAO assessed CMS’s monitoring and evaluation activities using CMS’s Pandemic Plan and federal internal control standards. What GAO recommends. GAO is making two recommendations to CMS to (1) develop procedures to monitor temporary changes to HCBS programs during public health emergencies; and (2) evaluate the temporary changes after the COVID-19 emergency and address opportunities for improvement. The Department of Health and Human Services concurred with GAO’s recommendations.
- Copyright:
- The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (ii, 34 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918317488606676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918317488606676