The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021, provides increased funding for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) to enhance, expand, or strengthen these services.
In the face of heightened challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the goal of financial incentives to support HCBS is to promote community living, improve quality of life, and enhance access to services that enable independence for older adults and individuals with disabilities. Section 9817 of ARPA temporarily increases the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for HCBS by 10 percentage points.
The increased FMAP will be in place from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance on the FMAP increase for HCBS on May 13, 2021, and requested states submit their plans and funding estimates within 30 days of the release and revised quarterly plans through 2024. CMS has since allowed states to extend the deadline by additional 30 days, if needed.
More details on this funding from CMS can be found here. Specifically, CMS outlines potential strategies states can adopt in Appendix C and D of the letter.
Stakeholder Feedback
Feedback from stakeholders is essential to the implementation of HCBS that positively impact the health of NC Medicaid’s beneficiaries. NC Medicaid is seeking input from people who work in HCBS, people who receive HCBS care and the public on how North Carolina can most effectively allocate the funds. Please provide feedback on what the priorities should be for NC Medicaid’s HCBS spending plan. Feedback can be shared by:
• Emailing Medicaid.NCEngagement@dhhs.nc.gov
• Attending a webinar on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Register here to attend.
Contact
NC Medicaid Contact Center 888-245-0179