CMS Seeks Feedback on Accessing Medicaid and CHIP

According to a Feb. 17 press release, the Biden-Harris administration announces its Request For Information (RFI) on access to care and coverage for people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

The release states that “As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to advance health equity and reduce health disparities, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking feedback on topics related to healthcare access, such as enrolling in and maintaining coverage, accessing health care services and supports, and ensuring adequate provider payment rates to encourage provider availability and quality. This RFI is one of many actions CMS is taking to develop a more comprehensive access strategy in its Medicaid and CHIP programs.”

Further, “Feedback obtained from the RFI announced today will aid in CMS’ understanding of enrollees’ barriers to enrolling in and maintaining coverage and accessing needed health care services and support through Medicaid and CHIP. This information will help inform future polices, monitoring, and regulatory actions, helping ensure beneficiaries have equitable access to high-quality and appropriate care across all Medicaid and CHIP payment and delivery systems, including fee-for-service, managed care, and alternative payment models. The RFI submissions will also inform CMS’ work to ensure timely access to critical services, such as behavioral health care and home and community-based services.”

“Evidence shows that while Medicaid and CHIP generally provide comprehensive coverage for health care services, some enrollees still experience challenges accessing providers and medical services despite statutory access protections in Medicaid,” the release adds. “CMS’ access RFI aims to gather information to help understand many of these concerns with feedback from experts, beneficiaries, and community members with lived experience of the agency’s programs.”

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra was quoted in the release saying that “We are committed to providing equitable access to quality health care and removing any barriers to quality healthcare. We want to hear directly from stakeholders so we can strengthen our programs for the more than 80 million Americans with Medicaid or CHIP health insurance. Together, by advancing health equity, we can ensure quality health care is within reach for everyone who needs it.”

Those interested in accessing the RFI questions can comment on Medicaid.gov. The RFI is open for a 60-day public comment period beginning February 17, 2022.