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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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Are individuals who were in foster care and enrolled in Medicaid when they turned age 18 or aged out of foster care in a different state eligible under this group?

We do not believe the statue requires states to cover, under this group, individuals who were in foster care and enrolled in Medicaid when they turned age 18 or aged out of foster care in a different state. However, we believe the statute provides states the option to do so. As noted above, pending publication of a final regulation at section 435.150, states may exercise the option proposed when they complete SPA page S33 for this group.

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FAQ ID:92166

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At state option, are states allowed to claim title XIX funding instead of title XXI for services provided under a Medicaid expansion program?

Yes. Section 115 of CHIPRA gives states the option to claim expenditures for Medicaid expansion program populations under section 1905(u)(2)(B) of the Act, either at the enhanced FMAP rate using title XXI funds or at the regular FMAP rate using title XIX funds. States that elect to claim expenditures under title XXI will receive the enhanced FMAP rate. However, states that elect to claim expenditures under title XIX will receive the regular Medicaid FMAP rate. Claims submitted at the enhanced FMAP rate will be paid from the state's CHIP allotment.

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FAQ ID:92171

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Under CMS 2370-F, may states continue to use discounted reimbursement rates for out-of-state or out-of-network eligible primary care providers, which may be less than the Medicare rate, for calendar years (CYs) 2013 and 2014?

CMS acknowledges the customary practice of reimbursing out-of-state or out-of-network providers at a base rate minus a defined percentage. The applicable Medicare rate effectively becomes the ‘floor’ for payments to eligible providers for eligible services rendered in CYs 2013 and 2014. Health plans may pay above that rate but not below.

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FAQ ID:92131

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Under CMS 2370-F, CMS has indicated that the CMS-64 will be modified for states to report the expenditures that will receive the 100 percent federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for the increased expenditures for primary care services. Will the CMS-21 also be modified to report these expenditures for the CHIP Medicaid Expansion population?

No. The only expenditures that count against the CHIP allotment and must be reported on the CMS-21 are those related to the Medicaid rate in effect on July 1, 2009. The difference between those rates and the 2013 and 2014 Medicare rates eligible for 100 percent FMAP are Medicaid expenditures and are reported on the CMS 64.9.

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FAQ ID:92116

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Do allergists qualify for higher Medicaid payment under the CMS 2370-F rule?

CMS recently received information from the American Board of Medical Specialties attesting that the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI) is an ABMS-recognized sub-discipline of the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Specifically, the ABAI is a conjoint board of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) and the American Board of Internal medicine (ABIM). All physicians certified by the Board of Allergy and Immunology must first be board certified by either ABP or ABAI. Medical specialists certified by the Allergy and Immunology Board remain subspecialists of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. However, it is possible that some holders of a certificate from ABAI will not have a current certificate in Internal Medicine or Pediatrics because some diplomats of the ABP and ABIM who hold subspecialty certificates are not required to maintain their primary certificates. The ABMS was concerned that these diplomats might be excluded from eligibility for higher payment under a strict interpretation of the rule even though they do act as their patients' primary care provider in many cases and urged that CMS formally recognize that diplomats of ABAI are, in fact subspecialists in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and eligible for higher payment up to the Medicare rate.

Based on this information, CMS agrees that allergists are eligible for higher payment under the rule.

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FAQ ID:91486

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Under CMS 2370-F, may states continue to use discounted reimbursement rates for out-of-state or out-of-network eligible primary care providers, which may be less than the Medicare rate, for calendar years (CYs) 2013 and 2014?

CMS acknowledges the customary practice of reimbursing out-of-state or out-of-network providers at a base rate minus a defined percentage. The applicable Medicare rate effectively becomes the'floor' for payments to eligible providers for eligible services rendered in CYs 2013 and 2014. Health plans may pay above that rate but not below.

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FAQ ID:91446

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May states delegate the self-attestation process to their contracted managed care plans under CMS 2370-F rule?

Yes. A state may elect to delegate the self-attestation process to its contracting health plans under the following circumstances:

  1. Each managed care plan has signed documentation on file (provider contract or credentialing application) from the eligible provider attesting to the fact that he or she has a covered specialty or subspecialty designation. This addresses step one of the two-step self-attestation process specified in the rule.
  2. The managed care plan has verification of the provider’s appropriate board certification (as part of the credentialing and re-credentialing process). This addresses one option of the second step in the self-attestation process.
  3. Should board certification in the eligible specialty not be able to be verified by the managed care plan, the eligible provider must provide a specific attestation to the managed care plan that 60 percent of their Medicaid claims for the prior year were for the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes specified in the regulation. This addresses a second option for the second step in the self-attestation process.
  4.  Such delegation is included in the contract amendment that is otherwise being filed to implement this provision.
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FAQ ID:91456

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What is the difference between "Medicaid Amount Reimbursed" vs. "Non-Medicaid Amount Reimbursed" in the State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD)?

A Non-Medicaid Reimbursed amount is any amount paid on a claim by parties other than Medicaid (e.g., other federal coverage, co-pay, private insurance). If a state receives Federal Financial Participation (FFP) for any part of a claim for a Covered Outpatient Drug (COD), that portion of the claim is included in the Medicaid Reimbursed amount. If a state does not receive FFP for any part of a rebate-eligible claim, then the amount of the claim is included in the Non-Medicaid Reimbursed amount.

FAQ ID:91981

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Why Does the "Medicaid Amount Reimbursed" and the "Non-Medicaid Amount Reimbursed" not equal the "Total Amount Reimbursed" in the State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD)?

The sum of the “Medicaid Amount Reimbursed” and the “Non-Medicaid Amount Reimbursed” fields should generally equal the Total Amount Reimbursed on a National Drug Code (NDC) by NDC basis; however, these new fields were implemented beginning with the fourth quarter of 2007 and are optional for the states to report prior to that time. Therefore, for quarters earlier than fourth quarter 2007, there may be some large discrepancies between the Total Amount Reimbursed and the sum of the Medicaid Amount Reimbursed and the Non-Medicaid Amount Reimbursed because the Non-Medicaid Amount Reimbursed is often not present for those earlier quarters. Should you notice apparent discrepancies in an individual state's utilization data, your questions should be directed to the State Technical Contact.

FAQ ID:91986

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Is the amount reimbursed by Medicaid net of rebates or pre-rebate in the State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD)?

Amounts reimbursed by Medicaid are pre-rebate, not net of rebates.

FAQ ID:92001

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