| After the Public Health Emergency: Changes to Home and Community-Based Services and Delivery Methods Webinar Date: May 11, 2022 Time: 1:30-3:00 PM EST Conference Line: 1-800-719-7514; Access Code: 267135# Please note closed captioning will be available. In this webinar we will: - Discuss changes selected states anticipated making to 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) programs as a result of positive State experiences with changes made through the 1915(c) Waiver Appendix K Amendment process during the Public Health Emergency (PHE);
- Share additional changes states planned as a result of broader stakeholder experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Hear from two states about their experiences and plans for changes and initiatives; and
- Discuss how states can use the information discussed in this presentation to consider changes they may make after the PHE.
Following the presentation, CMS and state presenters will take questions from webinar participants. Register in advance for this webinar: https://neweditions.adobeconnect.com/afterthepublichealthemergency22/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 CMS and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). 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. ___________________________________________________________________ Navigating the MSP Eligibility Experience CMS recently posted a visual showing the experiences of applicants, assisters, and eligibility workers navigating the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) eligibility determination and redetermination process, available at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/navigating-medicare-savings-program-msp-eligibility-experience-journey-map.pdf. The MSPs make health care more accessible and affordable by covering Medicare Part A and B premiums and cost sharing for individuals with low income. Over 10 million individuals are enrolled in an MSP. CMS and states have been working to improve enrollment in the MSPs. As part of these efforts, in October of 2020, the CMS Office of Burden Reduction & Health Informatics (OBRHI) launched a stakeholder engagement effort focused on the human experience of navigating the eligibility determination and redetermination processes for the MSPs. OBRHI engaged with 55 stakeholders across four states to understand experiences when applying for the MSPs. The illustration shows some of the practices associated with better experiences for applicants and beneficiaries, such as increasing awareness of the MSPs, improving eligibility worker training and access to resources, removing burdensome documentation requirements for MSPs, and streamlining renewal and appeals processes for MSPs. The perspectives of Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, advocates, state eligibility workers, and state partners are all represented in the illustration. We hope this graphic will help states evaluate the impact of their current policies and procedures on MSP enrollment. We appreciate your partnership in improving enrollment in the Medicare Savings Programs and look forward to continued collaboration on these important issues. | 
