CMS Alerts121 posts

As part of its commitment to improve transparency and help families and caregivers find the best nursing home care for their loved ones, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now posting data on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots administered to nursing home residents and staff on the Medicare.gov Care Compare website. The data will show resident and staff booster rates at the facility level and will include national and state averages.

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extremely pleased the Supreme Court recognized CMS’ authority to set a consistent COVID-19 vaccination standard for workers in facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid. CMS’ vaccine rule will cover 10.4 million health care workers at 76,000 medical facilities. Giving patients assurance on the safety of their care is a critical responsibility of CMS and a key to combatting the pandemic.

National requirement protects patients at nearly 76,000 providers and covers more than 17 million health care workers The Biden-Harris Administration is requiring COVID-19 vaccination of eligible staff at health care facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The emergency regulation issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today protects those fighting this virus on the front lines while also delivering assurances to individuals and their families that they will be protected when seeking care.

Coverage without cost-sharing is available in Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the commercial health insurance market Following the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent action authorizing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 in children 5 through 11 years of age and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is reminding eligible consumers that coverage is available without cost-sharing under Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and in the commercial market for this critical protection from the virus without cost sharing.

Last night CMS announced the ending of the following emergency regulatory waivers issued in response to COVID-19: The emergency blanket waivers related to notification of resident room or roommate changes, and transfer and discharge notification requirements.The emergency blanket waiver for certain care planning requirements for residents transferred for cohorting purposes.The emergency blanket waiver of the timeframe requirements for completing and transmitting resident assessment information (Minimum Data Set).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 26, 2021 Contact: CMS Media Relations CMS Media Inquiries Biden Administration Strengthens Requirements that Plans and Issuers Cover COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing Without Cost Sharing and Ensures Providers are Reimbursed for Administering COVID-19 Vaccines to Uninsured In accordance with the Executive Order President Biden signed on January 21, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), together with the Department of Labor and the Department of the Treasury, (collectively, the Departments) issued new guidance today removing barriers to COVID-19 diagnostic testing and vaccinations and strengthening requirements that plans and issuers cover diagnostic testing without cost sharing.

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicaid LTSS Annual Expenditures Report for Federal Fiscal Years (FFY) 2017 and 2018. This report discusses the LTSS rebalancing trends and growth in expenditures for home and community based services (HCBS) as compared to institutional spending during these select years. Some of the highlights from this report show: Total Medicaid LTSS spending continues to increase.

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicaid Section 1915(c) Waiver Programs Annual Expenditures and Beneficiaries Report, Analysis of CMS 372 Annual Reports for years 2015 through 2017. This report provides summary information from annual CMS Form 372 report submissions and focuses on trends in section 1915(c) home and community based services (HCBS) waiver program participation, service use by HCBS population, and expenditures for 2015 through 2017.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 15, 2021 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries CMS releases 2022 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rate Announcement Releasing Medicare Advantage and Part D payment information will help plans in light of COVID-19 Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced 2022 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D rates three months earlier than usual providing Medicare health and prescription drug plans more time to consider this information as they prepare and finalize their bids for 2022, which are due June 7, 2021.