Washington, DC Update 10/13/23

Shutdown was averted, but leadership of the House is not clear. Republican leaders of the House hope to vote a new Speaker of the House by the end of the week. For now, Representative McHenry (R. NC) is the “speaker pro tem.” This is temporary and he is limited in what he can do in this position; the main role is to organize an election of the new Speaker. Until a new Speaker is elected, the rules will likely not allow a vote on any of the pending bills, including the federal budget. The continuing resolution requires a budget be approved prior to November 18^th, 2023 to avoid a federal government shutdown.

KFF: Understanding Ex Parte Renewals

As states unwind the Medicaid continuous enrollment provision, they must comply with federal renewal requirements, including the requirement to conduct ex parte or automated renewals. Ex parte renewals can help to reduce administrative burdens for state eligibility workers and enrollees. Ex parte can also help to address longstanding issues with Medicaid enrollees losing coverage at renewal despite still being eligible by simplifying the process and eliminating the need for enrollees to complete and return a renewal form.

States have taken steps to increase the share of ex parte renewals; however, with heightened focus on state renewal policies and procedures, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) identified a problem that led to hundreds of thousands of enrollees, many of whom are children, being inappropriately disenrolled from Medicaid. This Kaiser Family Foundation policy watch explains what ex parte renewals are, examines variation in ex parte renewal rates across states, and discusses current issues as well as actions states are taking to increase ex parte rates.

MHPA Report: Medicaid Managed Care Organization Experiences During Redetermination

A new research report from Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA- an advocacy organization for Medicaid managed care plans) summarizes findings from their national survey of Medicaid managed care organizations during redetermination, documenting the multi-faceted member engagement strategy plans undertake as aligned with what states allow them to do.   

This report summarizes quantitative and qualitative research completed by MHPA. It presents results of an MHPA-developed national survey conducted between June and July 2023 and completed by approximately three-quarters of MHPA member MCOs. Respondents represent 103 different local MCOs across 39 unique states and DC—nearly every state that partners with Medicaid managed care organizations.

Unwinding Data Recap: What Do We Know So Far?

 A new blog from Georgetown CCF digs into the latest Unwinding data published by CMS.

Report: Medicaid Redetermination Coverage Transitions

Many Medicaid enrollees will be transitioning to other coverage sources during the redetermination period due to loss of Medicaid coverage. NORC’s (National Opinion Research Center at University of Chicago) analysis provides state-level coverage source estimates for those predicted to lose Medicaid coverage during redetermination.

CDC: Adds Cerebral Palsy to Autism Tracking Efforts

The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network previously tracked cerebral palsy in 8-year-olds, but data on the condition was last collected in 2010. Since that time, there wasn’t enough money available to continue monitoring the condition, officials said. Now, there is dedicated funding for cerebral palsy surveillance through 2026 and sites in Minnesota, Missouri, Utah, Tennessee and Georgia are expected to collect data on both 4-year-old and 8-year-old children., such as:

• Assess a state’s capacity for conducting CP surveillance.
• Pilot surveillance methods for reporting prevalence and early identification of CP among children aged 4 and 8 in their ADDM Network community.
• Report preliminary findings of piloting CP surveillance and develop recommendations for inclusion of CP in surveillance year 2024 activities.
• Implement CP surveillance methodology for surveillance year 2024.

Read about the CDC efforts around Cerebral Palsy. You can read a summary in this Disability Scoop Article.

CMS Releases Guidance on 12-Month Continuous Eligibility for Children

CMS has released long awaited guidance to states on implementing 12-month continuous eligibility (CE) for all children in Medicaid and the Children’s Insurance Program (CHIP) under the age of 19 as enacted by Congress in the 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act. As of January 2023, 26 states cover some or all children in Medicaid for a full year, while 24 of the 34 states with separate CHIP programs do. Starting January 2024, all children in Medicaid and CHIP will qualify for a full year of coverage.

Breaking it Down: A new blog from Georgetown CCF analyzes the guidance from CMS. Starting January 2024, all children in Medicaid and CHIP will qualify for a full year of coverage. 

State of Babies Yearbook: 2023

ZERO TO THREE is excited to share the release of the State of Babies Yearbook: 2023. This resource is a blueprint for transformation to put our nation on the path towards a comprehensive infant-toddler agenda. The Yearbook identifies five imperatives where urgent action is needed at the federal level: maternal health, infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH), childcare, housing, and economic security. 

For a related Advocacy Toolkit visit stateofbabies.org/take-action for resources to share findings and resources with federal, state, and local policymakers.

AAP and CCF: 2023 State Snapshots on the Importance of Medicaid for Children’s Coverage

Check out the updated state snapshots, created by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Georgetown Center for Children and Families, to see who Medicaid covers, including the share of children with special health care needs and the share of young children who rely on Medicaid for health coverage, and what kinds of services are covered.

Webinar: ABLE Accounts

ACCSES (organization of disability service providers), the National Able Resource Center and the AbilityOne Commission will be offering a webinar on How ABLE Accounts Support Employment. 

This two-part event, in honor of National Disability Awareness Month, is designed to increase employers’ and service providers’ understanding of the important role that ABLE accounts can play in supporting the employment and financial stability of working-age people with disabilities and their families.

Part I of the webinar, on Tuesday, October 17 from 2:00 to 3:30PM EASTERN, will provide key updates on ABLE and share strategies and tools for employers and service providers to use moving forward. Part II, on Thursday, October 19 from 2:00 to 3:00PM Eastern, is a Technical Assistance Office Hour that will offer a chance for Part I attendees to have their ABLE-related questions answered.

• Register for Part One of “Ready and ABLE to Work and Save”.
• Register for Part Two of “Ready and ABLE to Work and Save” (for Part I attendees only).

Webinar: Paid Family Caregiving

The Unforgotten Families will be hosting a webinar to discuss updates nationwide for Personal/Attendant Care services allowing parents and family members to be paid caregivers. The webinar will occur on November 8, 2023, at 11 a.m. MST. There will be time for Questions/ Answers during webinar.

Register for the event

Webinar: Leveraging Medicaid to Support Children and Youth with Complex Behavioral Health Needs

Manatt Health will lead an interactive panel of innovators driving change—including state officials, youth advocates with lived experience and leading clinicians—focusing on ways to respond effectively to the crisis. The session will share actionable strategies and concrete examples of states making progress on improving care for young people living with complex behavioral health conditions.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023 10:00–11:00 a.m. PT,1:00–2:00 p.m. ET

Register

Key questions the program will answer include:

• What services and supports do young people living with complex behavioral health conditions need? Are states covering the “right things” that will make a difference according to young people, families and clinicians?
• How can states ensure that families and young people are partners in the policymaking process and in driving care and treatment decisions?
• What are the most effective ways to respond to the emergency department boarding crisis?
• How can states move “upstream” to focus on prevention and early intervention?
• What is the role of Medicaid and CHIP in responding to the crisis? How can they most effectively be leveraged? 

Panelists:

• Sheamekah Williams, President, Evolution Foundation
• Arc Telos Saint Amour (Tay), Executive Director, Youth MOVE National
• Kristine Herman, Bureau Chief of Behavioral Health, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services

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Family Voices is a national organization and grassroots network of families and friends of children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities that promotes partnership with families--including those of cultural, linguistic and geographic diversity--in order to improve healthcare services and policies for children.