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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.

Showing 21 to 28 of 28 results

What is the difference between EIDM and MACPro?

Enterprise Identity Management (EIDM) is an identity management and services system that provides users with access to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) applications. EIDM is located at https://portal.cms.gov/.

The Medicaid and CHIP Program (MACPro) system is a web-based tool for the submission, review, disposition, and management support of Medicaid and CHIP initiatives, including Quality Measures Reporting, State Plan Amendments (SPA), Waivers, Demonstrations, and Advance Planning Documents. MACPro is located at https://macpro.cms.gov.

FAQ ID:92816

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What should I do if I am experiencing connectivity issues, freezing, or slowness within MACPro?

Please provide the following information to the Help Desk:

  • Who is your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and IP address?
  • What is your location?
  • What component were you using (Quality Measures, Health Homes SPA, etc.)?
  • What is the exact time the problem occurred?
  • What exactly happened?
  • What screen were you on?
  • If an error message displayed, please provide a screenshot.
  • Did the problem resolve itself? Was a page refresh or application reboot required?

FAQ ID:92821

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What does a CMS EIDM Approver need to do if the user requesting access to MACPro is not on a list of users who should have access?

The CMS EIDM Approver would need to contact the Business Owner Point of Contact (POC) for the Medicaid and CHIP Programs that are in MACPro to request verification of the user requesting access. The Business Owner POC may need to get in touch with the relevant Medicaid/CHIP State Agency directly to verify that the user requesting access is valid.

FAQ ID:92826

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How do I change my password? / How do I reset my password if I forgot it?

As MACPro and the Enterprise Identity Management Portal (EIDM) are integrated, your EIDM credentials are what you use to log into MACPro. To reset your password for MACPro, go to the link https://portal.cms.gov  and click the blue link that says "Forgot Password" under the blue log in button on the right side of the screen. You must answer your challenge questions to be able to reset your password. If you are not sure of your challenge questions, please contact the MACPro Help Desk at macpro_helpdesk@cms.hhs.gov.

FAQ ID:92831

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What are the Implementation Guides for?

Implementation guides are documents that provide specific information on how to complete and review a specific section of MACPro as a State or CMS User.

FAQ ID:92836

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I received an unexpected error message, what should I do?

Take a screenshot (Ctrl+PrtScn [PC]) of the message you see and send an email to the MACPro Help Desk atMACPro_HelpDesk@cms.hhs.gov. (MACPro underscore Help Desk). Two ways to avoid unexpected error messages are:

  1. Never use the browser back and forth arrows to navigate through MACPro; and
  2. Do not remain inactive on MACPro for more than sixty minutes.
  3. Always log out when exiting MACPro or EIDM.
  4. If you are clicking a bookmarked link to access either MACPro or EIDM, try manually typing the link or copying and pasting the link.
  5. Try refreshing your screen or clearing your cache. You can clear your cache in your browser's Options. (If you need guidance on clearing your cache, please contact the MACPro Help Desk at MACPro_HelpDesk@cms.hhs.gov.)

FAQ ID:92841

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When will we have final rules on essential health benefits, actuarial value, and rating?

In section 156.100 of the proposed rule on Essential Health Benefits/Actuarial Value/Accreditation, we propose criteria for the selection process for a state that chooses to select a benchmark plan. The essential health benefits benchmark plan would serve as a reference plan, reflecting both the scope of services and limits offered by a typical employer plan in that state. This approach and benchmark selection, which would apply for at least the 2014 and 2015 benefit years, would allow states to build on coverage that is already widely available, minimize market disruption, and provide consumers with familiar products. Since some base-benchmark plan options may not cover all ten of the statutorily required essential health benefits categories, we propose standards for supplementing a base-benchmark plan that does not provide coverage of one or more of the categories.

We also propose that if a base-benchmark plan option does not cover any items and services within an essential health benefits category, the base-benchmark plan must be supplemented by adding that particular category in its entirety from another base-benchmark plan option. The resulting plan, which would reflect a base-benchmark that covers all ten essential health benefits categories, must meet standards for nondiscrimination and balance. After meeting these standards, it would be considered the essential health benefits-benchmark plan.

The proposed rule also outlines the process by which HHS would supplement a default base-benchmark plan, if necessary. We clarify that to the extent that the default base-benchmark plan option does not cover any items and services within an essential health benefits category, the category must be added by supplementing the base-benchmark plan with that particular category in its entirety from another base-benchmark plan option. Specifically, we propose that HHS would supplement the category of benefits in the default base benchmark plan with the first of the following options that offer benefits in that particular essential health benefits category: (1) the largest plan by enrollment in the second largest product in the state's small group market; (2) the largest plan by enrollment in the third largest product in the state's small group market; (3) the largest national Federal Employees Health Benefit Program plan by enrollment across states that is offered to federal employees; (4) the largest dental plan under the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, for pediatric oral care benefits; (5) the largest vision plan under the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, for pediatric vision care benefits; and (6) habilitative services as described in section 156.110(f) or 156.115(a)(4).

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FAQ ID:94466

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What level of benefit is required in a specific benchmark to satisfy the ten essential health benefit categories? What process will be undertaken by HHS to select backfilling benefit options if a state defaults to the largest small group product?

The U.S. Office of Personal Management released a proposed rule implementing the Multi-State Plan Program on November 30, 2012. To ensure that the Multi-State Plans are competing on a level playing field with other plans in the marketplace, the proposed regulation largely defers to state insurance law and the standards promulgated by HHS and states related to qualified health plans. Under the proposal, Multi-State Plans will be evaluated based largely on the same criteria as other qualified health plans operating in Exchanges. The few areas in which the Office of Personal Management proposes different regulatory standards from those applicable to qualified health plans are areas where the Office of Personal Management has extensive experience through its administration of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. However, in order to ensure that these few differences will not create any unfair advantages, the Office of Personal Management seeks comment from states and other stakeholders on these proposals. The regulation appeared in the Federal Register on December 5, 2012, and the comment period runs through January 4, 2013.

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FAQ ID:94471

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