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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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Do states need to track people enrolled in the adult group who become pregnant? If a woman indicates on the application she is pregnant, do states need to enroll her as a pregnant woman if she is otherwise eligible for the adult group? Would there be a need to track pregnancy if the benefits for both groups are the same?

If a woman indicates on an initial application that she is pregnant, she should be enrolled in Medicaid coverage as a pregnant woman, rather than in the new adult group. However, as stated in the preamble to the March 23, 2012 Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility & Enrollment final rule , states are not required to track the pregnancy status of women already enrolled through the new adult group. Women should be informed of the benefits afforded to pregnant women under the state's Medicaid program and if a woman becomes pregnant and requests a change in coverage category, the state must make the change if she is eligible.

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FAQ ID:92151

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What are the expectations for states in implementing telephonic applications as required by the statute at section 1413(b)(1)(A) and regulations at 42 CFR 435.907?

The statute and regulations require that states provide individuals several channels through which they can apply for Medicaid and CHIP coverage - by mail, in person, on line and over the telephone. Following are some guiding principles for administering telephonic applications based on successful strategies many states have in place today.

  1. Accepting a Telephonic Application - States may develop their own processes for accepting and adjudicating telephonic applications. The process for accepting applications by phone must be designed to gather data into a sufficient format that will be accessible for account transfer to the appropriate insurance affordability program. For example, a customer service representative could verbally communicate application questions to the applicant, while electronically filling out the online version of the single streamlined application.
  2. Voice Signatures - All applications must be signed (under penalty of perjury) in order to complete an eligibility determination. In the case of telephonic applications, states must have a process in place to assist individuals in applying by phone and be able to accept telephonically recorded signatures at the time of application submission. If applicable, states can maintain their current practices of audio recording and accepting voice signatures as required for identity proofing.
  3. Records and Storage - Upon request, states must be able to provide individuals with a record of their completed application, including all information used to make the eligibility determination. As such, CMS recommends that states record all telephonic applications. This may be accomplished by taping the complete application transaction as an audio file, or by producing a written transcript of the application transaction, among other options. The length of storage of these records should comply with current regulations on application storage.
  4. Confirmations and Receipts - States should provide a confirmation receipt documenting the telephonic application to the applicant. Such confirmation should be provided upon submission of the application or at any time the applicant wishes to end the customer representative interaction. Confirmation receipts can be delivered via electronic or paper mail (based on the applicant's preference). Confirmation receipts must include key information for applicants, including but not limited to the application summary, the eligibility determination summary page, a copy of the attestations/rights and responsibilities and the submission date of the signed application.
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FAQ ID:92156

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If a woman moves from the adult group under 1902(a)(10)(A)(i)(VIII) to the pregnant woman group, are states then required to move former pregnant women from the pregnant women eligibility group back to the adult group when the post-partum period ends?

If a woman is enrolled in a group for pregnant women, before the end of the post-partum period, as specified in the definition of "pregnant woman" at 42 CFR 435.4, the state Medicaid agency will need to re-evaluate the woman's eligibility for other groups, including the lowincome adult group and advance payment of premium tax credits through the Marketplace. Our regulations at 42 CFR 435.916 explain the requirements for states in connection with renewals of eligibility or determinations of ineligibility based on a change in circumstances. The procedures outlined in the regulation are intended to promote continuity of coverage.

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FAQ ID:92161

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If we complete multiple inpatient templates for Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) and per diem, should they be in the same file or separate files? Should there be a summary of all the inpatient Upper Payment Limits (UPLs) showing grand totals?

The state should complete one template each for the DRG and per diem UPL calculations and these should be placed in one file. The state should also include a summary worksheet in the same file that shows the UPL gap for each ownership category (state government owned, non-state government owned, and private). States should include all necessary supporting documentation.

FAQ ID:92276

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Can CMS provide a list of the revenue codes that are approved to be included in the outpatient hospital Upper Payment Limit (UPL) or conversely the revenue codes that cannot be included?

To date, CMS has not published a list of revenue codes that must be included or excluded from this service category.  Medicaid outpatient hospital services are defined at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 440.20 and include “preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, rehabilitative, or palliative services”.  In the state plan, states further define those services covered as outpatient hospital services.

FAQ ID:92411

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How do I withdraw a submission package?

A State may withdraw a submission package once it has been submitted to CMS. Withdrawing a submission package takes it out of contention and the submission package cannot be edited or resubmitted. Log in as State Point of Contact, and select the "Records" tab. Then select "Submission Packages" for your State. Next, select the link to the submission package you wish to withdraw. In the left panel, select "Related Actions". Next, select "Withdraw Submission Package". Then select the green button labeled "Withdraw Submission Package". A box will pop up, select "Yes". Once the submission package is withdrawn, you will be redirected to the Records screen. A yellow notification will appear briefly at the top of the page indicating "Action Completed Successfully".

FAQ ID:92891

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How do I allow CMS to view my submission package prior to submitting?

After the State Editor has forwarded the submission package to the State Point of Contact for Reviewing, the State Point of contact should log into MACPro. Then go to the "Records" tab and select "Submission Packages" for your state. Select the submission package you wish for CMS to view. In the left panel, select "Related Actions". Next, select "Allow CMS to View Screen". On the Allow CMS to View Screen page, select "Yes" under Visibility Setting, and then select the green "Update Visibility" button in the bottom right corner.

Note: Selecting this option will permit the CMS review team to see the screens in this submission package as they are now. It does not cause the package to be submitted as Draft or Official, and does not start a CMS review clock. Validation of the screens is not required. Notify your CMS contact that viewing is available and who you wish to see it; MACPro does not notify CMS staff. You can deselect this option at any time.

FAQ ID:92896

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What functions can my role perform?

Refer to the table below.

Role Actions
State Editor (SE)
  • Responsible for creating SPA submission packages
State Point of Contact (SPOC)
  • Responsible for reviewing and submitting the SPA submission package to CMS
  • Responds to Requests for Additional Information (RAIs) from CMS
  • Documents and reviews Correspondence Log
State Director (State Director)
  • Reviews and certifies SPA submission packages
State System Administrator (SSA)
  • Creates/maintains State Profile

FAQ ID:92901

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How do I assign a SPA ID?

The SPA ID is assigned by the State Editor and entered in a field in Official Submission packages. The SPA ID (SS-YY-NNNN-xxxx) is assigned by the State in Official Submission Packages and consists of the State abbreviation (SS), they year (YY), a four character sequence number (NNNN), and an optional four character alpha and numeric (xxxx).

FAQ ID:92906

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How do I access previous submission packages for my state?

Select the "Records" tab in the upper tool bar. Select "Submission Packages" for your state and then search for the package you would like to view.

FAQ ID:92911

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