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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions are used to provide additional information and/or statutory guidance not found in State Medicaid Director Letters, State Health Official Letters, or CMCS Informational Bulletins. The different sets of FAQs as originally released can be accessed below.

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Will the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issue a preprint for the increased physician payment under CMS 2370-F?

Yes. CMS has provided a preprint for the reimbursement section of the Medicaid state plan that will describe payment for evaluation and management services and vaccine administration. The preprint is available on Medicaid.gov.

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FAQ ID:91341

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Is a state required to cover all of the primary care service billing codes specified in the CMS 2370-F regulation and then reimburse all qualified providers at the Medicare rate in calendar years (CYs) 2013 and 2014?

A state is not required to cover all of the primary care service billing codes if it did not previously do so. Rather, to the extent that it reimburses physicians using any of the billing codes specified in the final rule, the state must pay at the Medicare rate in the calendar years (CYs) 2013 and 2014.

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FAQ ID:91346

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Will a state receive 100 percent federal matching funds for new codes added to the fee schedule in CYs 2013 and 2014 under CMS 2370-F?

A state may not add any of the eligible service codes solely for the purpose of obtaining enhanced federal matching funds. For example, a state may not eliminate a code currently in use and attempt to substitute it with another Evaluation and Management (E&M) code. However, we recognize that a handful of codes have been added to the E&M code set since 2009. States which added those codes to their fee schedules will receive higher match for those services.

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FAQ ID:91351

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The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) provided that states were required to pay the lesser of the provider's charges or the applicable Medicare rate. The final rule under CMS 2370-F no longer specifies this. Can a state continue to pay at the lower of the two amounts?

Under Medicare and Medicaid principles, payment is to be made at the lower of provider charges or the rate, which in this case is the applicable Medicare rate. This language was inadvertently omitted from the final rule. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is processing a technical correction to the regulatory text at 42 CFR 447.405 to restore this language.

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FAQ ID:91356

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Does higher payment apply to CHIP under CMS 2370-F?

The primary care provider rate increase does apply to the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Medicaid expansions but not separate (stand-alone) CHIPs. Qualified physicians who render the primary care services and vaccine administration services specified in the regulation will receive the benefit of higher payment for services provided to these Medicaid beneficiaries.

The State will receive 100 percent federal matching funds for the difference between the rate in effect 7/1/09 and the rate in calendar years (CYs) 2013 and 2014. The remainder of the payment will be funded at the CHIP matching rate, through the CHIP allotment. Services provided under separate (standalone) CHIPs are not eligible for higher payment.

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FAQ ID:91361

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The rule under CMS 2370-F indicates that all limitations, conditions and policies that applied to the code prior to January 1, 2013 can be applied to the code after that date. If a state sets a reduced rate for a Level III emergency service (99283) if it is a triage service (based on criteria described in the state plan) can it continue to do so or must it pay 100 percent of the Medicare rate? If it can continue to reduce the rate, must it develop a "Medicare triage rate", or can it continue to use the Medicaid triage fee?

This rule does not affect the state's ability to define and operate its coding system, and a state could distinguish claims submitted from those otherwise identified with code 99283. For those claims, the state should develop a rate that it believes Medicare would pay if Medicare made a similar distinction for emergency services limited to triage services, and would then pay that rate. For claims that were not limited to triage services, the state would pay based on the established Medicare rate for code 99283.

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FAQ ID:91366

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What federal matching rate will apply for services for which a higher payment is made under CMS 2370-F if the services also qualify for a higher FMAP under the provisions of section 4106 of the Affordable Care Act?

In qualifying states, certain United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) grade A or B preventive services and vaccine administration codes are eligible for a one percent FMAP increase under section 4106 of the Affordable Care Act (which amended sections 1902(a)(13) and 1905(b) of the Act). Some of these services may also qualify as a primary care services eligible for an increase in the payment rates under section 1202 of the Affordable Care Act. For these services the federal matching rate is 100 percent for the difference between the Medicaid rate as of July 1, 2009 and the payment made pursuant to section 1202 (the increase). The federal matching payment for the portion of the rate related to the July 1, 2009 base payment would be the regular Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) rate, except that this rate would be increased by one percent if the provisions of section 4106 of the Affordable Care Act are applicable.

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FAQ ID:91376

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Will the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace apply Medicaid policies and verification procedures differently under the "assessment" and "determination" models?

In an assessment model, the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace will not make a final Medicaid determination. Instead, the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace will transmit the account to the Medicaid or CHIP agency when they have evaluated the individual and identified him or her as Medicaid or CHIP eligible, and the Medicaid or CHIP agency will make the formal determination. In a determination model, the Medicaid or CHIP agency delegate the authority to make determinations to the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace. In both an assessment and determination model, as described in more detail in 42 CFR section 435.1200, the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace will utilize the same set of eligibility criteria, including selected state-specific options and standard verification procedures. If the state agency chooses the determination model, it must accept the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace determination as final. If the state chooses the assessment model, it must accept findings made by the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace relating to a criterion of eligibility, as long as the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace applies the same policies and verification procedures as those the state agency employs. In a state with a separate CHIP agency, the state Medicaid and CHIP agencies can make different choices allowing the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace to make an assessment or determination. States must choose either the assessment or determination model for all applications; they may not choose between models on a case-by-case basis. States will need to indicate their assessment or determination decision to CMS in a State Plan Amendment, as well as in the Memorandum of Agreement it signs with the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace.

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FAQ ID:93731

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In an assessment model, an applicant may be assessed eligible by the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace and later receive a determination as ineligible by the state Medicaid/CHIP agency. Does the state Medicaid agency need to communicate the eligibility finding to the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace?

Yes. In an assessment model, where an applicant is assessed eligible by the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace and later found to be ineligible by the state Medicaid agency, the state must transfer the account to the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace. Once received, the state Medicaid determination will be accepted and the account will be assessed by the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace for enrollment in a qualified health plan (QHP) and eligibility for Advanced Premium Tax Credits/Cost Sharing Reductions.

For the determination model, as discussed in section 435.1200(c), as governed by the agreement signed between the Medicaid agency and the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace, the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace determines eligibility for individuals applying to the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace for Medicaid/CHIP based on MAGI, and the state Medicaid or CHIP agency agrees to accept eligibility findings made by the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace.

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FAQ ID:93736

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In an assessment model, if an applicant applied via the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace and is found eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, how will the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace coordinate with the state Medicaid or CHIP agency regarding eligibility, enrollment, redeterminations, or renewals for Medicaid/CHIP?

For individuals assessed eligible for Medicaid/CHIP by the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace, their account will be transferred to the state Medicaid/CHIP agency for a final determination. Once enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP, regardless of where the initial application was submitted, all updates, redeterminations and renewals are handled by the enrolling entity (e.g., the state Medicaid/CHIP agency). No further coordination would be needed with the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace except when an individual is found ineligible for Medicaid or CHIP during the redetermination process. In this case, the state agency would transfer the individual's account to the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace to be assessed for enrollment in a qualified health plan (QHP) and eligibility for Advanced Premium Tax Credits /Cost Sharing Reductions. The Federally-Facilitated Marketplace will not handle redeterminations or renewals for Medicaid/CHIP and will refer individuals to the appropriate site in the state as appropriate.

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FAQ ID:93741

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