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Does the 75 percent FFP apply to program integrity activities associated with eligibility and enrollment?

Verification services that are conducted as part of the eligibility determination process or to validate a client's attestation, after an eligibility record has been entered into the system, will be eligible for 75 percent FFP.

Those verifications performed post eligibility and normally initiated as part of a sampling approach, including audits, PERM or MEQC activities would be considered program integrity activity and eligible for the 50 percent FFP.

Do states need to cost allocate eligibility worker costs across programs? Will claiming the 75

In situations where eligibility workers determine eligibility for multiple programs, all costs must be distributed to the appropriate programs and governing FFP rates (90/75/50) based on approved time study methodologies and/or cost allocation plans consistent with OMB Circular A-87 cost allocation principles. These costs must also clearly differentiate between resources needed for direct data and systems-related activities and resources needed for MMIS and eligibility determination systems versus program management and oversight activities, which are only eligible for 50 percent FFP.

How will CMS monitor and oversee state implementation? Will CMS ask states to report on

As noted earlier, states must submit an Operations APD to request this funding. CMS will monitor state implementation of the enhanced 75 percent FFP through ongoing review of state eligibility system implementation and operations, as well as through revised claims reporting. Specifically, CMS is revising the CMS-64-10 and 37-10 forms to separately capture eligibility determination system related maintenance and operations costs. We will separately track costs related to IT systems and eligibility determination staff as follows:

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 an assessment model, an applicant may be assessed eligible by the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace and

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.

In an assessment model, if an applicant applied via the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace and is found

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.

Will CMS approve enrollment caps or periods of ineligibility in section 1115 demonstrations?

The Affordable Care Act provides significant federal support to ensure the availability of coverage to low-income adults. Enrollment caps limit enrollment in coverage on a first come, first serve basis. Periods of ineligibility delay or deny coverage for otherwise eligible individuals. These policies do not further the objectives of the Medicaid program, which is the statutory requirement for allowing section 1115 demonstrations.

Will the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace integrate its enrollment file with the state's client registry so that

No. There will not be integration of the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace and states' client registries. Instead, the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace will both verify current Medicaid/CHIP enrollment as part of the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace "applicant" application, and will also conduct quarterly checks of the Medicaid/CHIP enrollment files to determine any overlap with Federally-Facilitated Marketplace enrollment logs.

What is the objective of section 2101(f) of the Affordable Care Act?

Section 2101(f) of the Affordable Care Act (implemented through regulations for the CHIP program at 42 CFR section 457.310) provides that states maintain coverage under a separate CHIP for children who lose Medicaid eligibility (including eligibility under a Medicaid expansion or M-CHIP program) due to the elimination of disregards under the new "modified adjusted gross income" (MAGI) based methodologies, which will be effective on January 1, 2014.