In certain circumstances, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) using section 1135 of the Social Security Act (SSA) can temporarily modify or waive certain Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, or HIPAA requirements, called 1135 waivers. There are different kinds of 1135 waivers, including Medicare blanket waivers. When there's an emergency, sections 1135 or 1812(f) of the SSA allow us to issue blanket waivers to help beneficiaries access care. When a blanket waiver is issued, providers don't have to apply for an individual 1135 waiver. When there's an emergency, we can also offer health care providers other flexibilities to make sure Americans continue to have access to the health care they need
