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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 1 to 10 of 73 results

Where can I find an application to apply for the Medicare Savings Program (MSP)?

The Medicare Savings Program (MSP) Model application can be found here: Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) Model Application for Medicare Premium Assistance

FAQ ID:95161

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Must the completion of a Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) comprehensive care plan take place in the home?

No, for the LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update measure, the care plan does not have to take place in the member’s home. However, it must be done face-to-face unless certain exceptions are met. These exceptions include circumstances in which:

  • The member was offered a face-to-face discussion and refused (either refused a face-to-face encounter or requested a telephone discussion instead of a face-to-face discussion).
  • The state policy, regulation, or other state guidance excludes the member from a requirement for face-to-face discussion of a care plan.

FAQ ID:89146

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What if there are multiple Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update care plans documented during the measurement period?

Use the most recently updated care plan.

FAQ ID:89151

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How should a Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) member's refusal to sign an LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update plan be documented?

To meet the LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update measure numerator, the care plan must be signed by the member, unless the care plan is under appeal in the specified timeframe, and there is documentation that the care plan was in appeal. There is an exclusion for members who refuse to take part in care planning. This exclusion is reported with the measure rate, so the overall measure rate can be interpreted correctly. For example, a plan that is not successful at engaging members in care planning, indicated by a high exclusion rate, would suggest the overall rate on the measure should be interpreted with caution.

FAQ ID:89166

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What if a Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) member could not be reached for the LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update?

There must be documentation that at least three attempts were made to reach the member, and they could not be reached. The rate of exclusion due to inability to reach a member should also be reported along with the measure performance rate.

FAQ ID:89176

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What if a Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) member either does not have a caregiver involved or does not want their caregiver involved in the LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update? What if a member's caregiver declines to participate in care planning?

In these circumstances, MLTSS plan records should clearly document that no caregiver was involved to satisfy the measure criteria. For example, there are situations in which it may not be appropriate to engage the caregiver, including cases in which the member refused to involve the caregiver, or the invited caregiver declined to participate. Reasons for lack of caregiver involvement are not required; documentation that a caregiver was not involved suffices.

FAQ ID:89181

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If no deficit is identified for one of the core elements required for the care plan (for example, functional needs), what should the care plan contain?

For certain elements of the care plan, documentation of no deficit suffices to receive credit for the elements (for example, functional needs, medical needs, cognitive impairment needs). Other elements in the core and supplemental rates of the Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update measure require documentation regardless of whether a deficit is identified (for example, individualized member goal, plan for follow-up and communication, plan for emergency). Refer to the details in the measure specification to identify where documentation of no deficit meets the element definition.

FAQ ID:89196

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Please clarify that state flexibility to reimburse in the aggregate extends to reimbursement rates for I/T/U pharmacies and FSS drugs, and that states can establish rates that are based on a variety of data sources, which may include FSS prices, national and State price surveys, AMP data, and other price benchmarks.

The new AAC requirements were designed to more accurately reflect the pharmacy providers' actual prices paid to acquire drugs and the professional services required to fill a prescription. We agree that each state is able to establish rates that satisfy (or are consistent with) AAC and may be based on a variety of data sources, which may include FSS prices, and other pricing benchmarks.

FAQ ID:95111

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If a state can prove that they are under the aggregate limits of AAC and PDF and have strong participation by pharmacies, are they required to adopt the AAC and PDF reimbursement methodology at the individual claim level?

All states are required to adopt the AAC and professional dispensing fee methodology; however, it is not required to be adopted at the individual claim level, but in the aggregate. In accordance with the regulatory requirements at 42 CFR 447.512(b), the state is responsible for establishing a payment methodology, that must not exceed, in the aggregate, payment levels that the agency has determined by applying the lower of the AAC plus a professional dispensing fee or the providers' usual and customary charges to the general public. In conjunction with this the state is also responsible to ensure that pharmacy reimbursement is consistent

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with the requirements of section 1902(a)(30)(A) of the Act, which specify that provider reimbursement rates should be consistent with efficiency, economy, and quality of care while assuring sufficient beneficiary access.

FAQ ID:94691

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If a state is already using actual acquisition cost (AAC) as their reimbursement methodology, does the state need to file a State Plan Amendment (SPA) or provide assurances that the current formula meets requirements established in the final rule? Is there a requirement for such states to file a SPA to provide assurance that the state's current dispensing fee amount meets the requirements of the final rule?

If a state is already making payment for prescription drugs under its state plan based on AAC, it may continue to use that methodology. However, if a state decides to change its AAC model of reimbursement, (e.g., the state decides to use the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) instead of a state survey to implement a payment methodology based on AAC), the state must submit a new SPA through the formal SPA process for review.

Additionally, the state should review its currently approved professional dispensing fee (PDF) to determine if, in light of the regulation (42 CFR 447.518), the PDF needs to be revised and a SPA needs to be submitted. The state does not have to submit a new SPA to provide assurance that its dispensing fee is reasonable.

Furthermore, we expect that all states, even those currently operating under an AAC reimbursement methodology, will evaluate their current state plans to determine if a SPA will be required to comply with the reimbursement requirements (including, but not limited to, AAC, PDF, 340B and the federal upper limits (FULs)).

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FAQ ID:94671

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