| Money Follows the Person Demonstration Expansion: Notice of Funding Opportunity Webinars for Applicants CMS released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that will offer up to $110 million to expand access to home and community-based services (HBCS) through Medicaid's Money Follows the Person (MFP) program. The new NOFO authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) will make individual awards of up to $5 million to states and territories that are not currently participating in MFP. These funds will support states during the initial planning and implementation of their programs. CMS will hold two webinars to provide details about the MFP Demonstration Expansion, and to answer questions from potential applicants regarding this funding opportunity. Registration is required. The webinars will be held: April 13, 2022 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (ET) Registration: https://cms.zoomgov.com/j/1601853787?pwd=Vm9UTUoyRnpVVStjSEo1QlZYWURPUT09 April 27, 2022 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (ET) Registration: https://cms.zoomgov.com/j/1612862544?pwd=MGd3YW5nUVJ4T050bWFraTV6V0Y1UT09 Questions: Please contact MFPdemo@cms.hhs.gov. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Upcoming Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Listening Sessions Dear Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Partners, CMS will host the final two listening sessions centered on non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT). Please note that session 3 was rescheduled to April 28th. Through these listening sessions, CMS would like to obtain your input regarding potential practices for improving Medicaid program integrity for NEMT. Please find below the timing of the final two sessions along with a link for you to complete registration for each. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. For questions or concerns, please contact nemtengagement@mitre.org. Thank you! CMCS NEMT Team _____________________________________________________________________________________ RESCHEDULED NEMT Listening Session 3: Economic Factors and Cost Containment Challenges in NEMT New Date: April 28, 2022 Time: 2:00-3:30 PM EST In this session, we are seeking your input on economics and cost containment, including topics such as: - Transportation related expenses and direct payments
- Meals, lodging and payment for an attendant
- Transportation for beneficiaries with challenging behaviors
- Direct payments to beneficiaries, family, and volunteer drivers
- Broker conflict of interest (COI)
- Broker prohibition on providing transportation
Register in advance for this webinar: https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_oil0aGwYQ--DXmWupWPqrA _____________________________________________________________________________________ NEMT Listening Session 4: NEMT Coordination Topics – Brokers, Managed Care Organizations' Community Transportation, and Paratransit Services Date: April 13, 2022 Time: 2:00-3:30 PM EST In this session, we are seeking your input on broker arrangements as well as usage of community transportation and paratransit services, including topics such as: - Access to services, timely arrival, and drop off
- Rural issues
- Tribal land issues
- Coverage of transportation to services not provided by Medicaid
Register in advance for this webinar: https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_hEmteVdvSCi7UTr8SvCGWw _____________________________________________________________________________________ Accounting for the Public Health Emergency, Economic Trends, and the Impact of the American Rescue Plan in 1915(c) Waiver Programs Date: April 13, 2022 Time: 1:30pm – 3:00 PM EST As states utilize additional funds provided under section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) to enhance, expand, and strengthen HCBS systems, this training will review trends in HCBS payment rates and priorities proposed by states in their ARP spending plans and Appendix K submissions. This training will also highlight strategies for accounting for financial-related impacts of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency in the 1915(c)-waiver application, including the ARP Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirements and changing economic conditions. Additionally, we will detail considerations for states to assist with estimating 1915(c) waiver service payment rates, inflation, growth rates, and accounting for new economic and geographic growth trends or factors that may impact future expenditures. Register in advance for this webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8816777456056060427 _____________________________________________________________________________________ How States Can Assist Providers in Systems Transformation to Achieve Settings Compliance Date: April 21, 2022 Time: 1:00-2:30 PM EST Conference Line: 800-719-7514l; Access Code: 624585 Please note closed captioning will be provided. As states design and implement strategies for ensuring compliance with HCBS settings regulation, support for providers is critical to success. This training will assist states to consider what issues providers might be confronting as they adapt HCBS programs and services to comply with the settings criteria and what states need to do to support providers during this system transformation process. During this training, CMS will: - Review methods that states can use to facilitate provider compliance including the key components of system transformation, and highlight critical HCBS settings criteria that states and providers should focus attention on;
- Build on lessons learned from the flexibilities initiated by states during the Public Health Emergency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, to describe promising practices to assist providers to adjust their HCBS delivery system to the changing needs of Medicaid participants and in the transition to compliance with the HCBS settings regulations;
- Share examples of approved strategies from the state HCBS spending plans under section 9817 of the ARP to strengthen HCBS; and
- Provide examples of state spending plan strategies that strengthen compliance with the HCBS settings regulations.
Following the presentation, webinar participants will have the opportunity to share any questions, comments, experiences or suggestions with CMS and the presenter. Register in advance for this webinar: https://neweditions.adobeconnect.com/e5yuna0zwoby/event/registration.html _____________________________________________________________________________________ Next Data Submission Period for the CAHPS® Home and Community-Based Services Survey: August 8–26, 2022 Users of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS CAHPS) Survey can submit their data to the HCBS CAHPS Database from August 8–26, 2022. Note that the submission timeline for 2022 is earlier than it was last year. All survey data collected from July 1, 2018–December 31, 2021, can be submitted to the Database. Participation will facilitate comparisons of HCBS CAHPS Survey findings by individual states and HCBS program types. Participation is free, voluntary, and open to all HCBS CAHPS Survey users. CMS is providing advanced notice to ensure states, managed care plans, and supporting entities have adequate time to prepare data use agreements and database submissions. In preparation for uploading information to the Database, HCBS CAHPS Survey users are encouraged to download and complete the HCBS CAHPS Database Data Use Agreement as soon as possible. Users may submit it before August 8, 2022, to HCBSCAHPSDatabase@Westat.com. The HCBS CAHPS Database is a joint project of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and CMS. Learn more about the submission requirements. The HCBS CAHPS survey versions eligible for submission are - Adult Survey 1.0 and
- Adult Survey 1.0 with the supplemental Employment Module.
For more information about the HCBS CAHPS Database, contact 855-580-4657 or HCBSCAHPSDatabase@Westat.com. For technical assistance with HCBS CAHPS implementation, contact HCBSmeasures@Lewin.com. | 
