Effective Date: December 23, 2025 (please note Washington intends to submit an 1135 waiver; if approved, the effective date will be December 10, 2025).

Description: The health care authority (HCA) and the department of social and health services (DSHS) intend to submit SPA 25-0033 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 Governor Ferguson's emergency declarations related to the historic flooding occurring across Washington.

SPA 25-0033 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 during certain emergencies 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 flooding, may be reimbursed for such items and services and exempted from sanctions for such noncompliance, absent any determination of fraud or abuse.

At this time, HCA and DSHS have insufficient data upon which to base an estimate of the effect of SPA 20-0033 on annual aggregate expenditures/reimbursement/payment.

SPA 20-0033 is in the development process; therefore a copy is not yet available for review. HCA and DSHS would appreciate any input or concerns regarding this SPA. To request a copy when it becomes available or submit comments, please 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).