May 13, 2022
Payers
  • The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule allowing Medicaid to directly pay for independent home health aides’ benefits, including health insurance. The new rule replaces a 2019 policy that required states to pay the full Medicaid rate to home health aides, which made health coverage and other benefits more costly and erected administrative barriers to enrollment. Deputy CMS administrator Dan Tsai said that the policy is not mandatory for states, but removes federal barriers for states wishing to use the system. (Rule here; Article here)