Description: The health care authority (HCA) intends to submit medicaid SPA 21-0038 to implement policies and procedures that may be different from the policies and procedures otherwise applied under the medicaid state plan, during the period of the presidential and secretarial emergency declarations related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

This SPA is the preprint developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to waive or modify certain requirements of titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI of the act as a result of the consequences [of the] COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure that sufficient health care items and services are available to meet the needs of individuals enrolled in the respective programs and to ensure that health care providers that furnish such items and services in good faith but are unable to comply with one or more of such requirements as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, may be reimbursed for such items and services and exempted from sanctions for such noncompliance, absent any determination of fraud or abuse.

SPA 21-0038 will address COVID[-19]-related inpatient and outpatient supplemental payments paid to the small rural disproportionate share hospitals (SRDSH).

Prior to the public health emergency (PHE), the state has not claimed enhanced federal matching funds for these supplemental payments. Therefore, it is necessary to submit this SPA so the state may receive enhanced matching funds. This SPA will not affect the current state share of supplemental payments; the SPA is being submitted to allow the state to claim COVID[-19]-related enhanced federal matching funds.

SPA 21-0038 is expected to increase the SRDSH supplemental payment amounts for inpatient and outpatient services. Effective March 2020, the federal share of the supplemental payment described above increased uniformly by 6.2 percent.

SPA 21-0038 is in the development process; therefore, a copy is not yet available for review. To request a copy when it becomes available or submit comments, you may contact the person named below (please note that all comments are subject to public review and disclosure, as are the names of those who comment).