HHS Answers ANCOR’s Letter Requesting COVID-19 Guidance

On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) responded to the first of two letters ANCOR wrote at the onset of the coronavirus outbreak to request guidance and resources for Medicaid providers. Because most of the original guidance produced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) focused on Medicare providers, we brought attention to the need for Medicaid-specific resources.

The response to ANCOR’s letter, which came from CMS, stated:

“In furtherance of our partnership with states, CMS has dedicated its resources to ensuring that Medicaid agencies have the necessary tools to prepare and respond to this emergency on behalf of the nation’s 71 million Medicaid beneficiaries. To that end, CMS has also created a dedicated website for Medicaid-related COVID-19 information, which includes our Medicaid & CHIP Disaster Response Toolkit and links to other relevant information regarding COVID-19. We are also releasing updated guidance on a rolling basis in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs) so that we can provide states with the most current and useful information during this evolving situation, including information on the implementation of recent congressional actions.”

ANCOR is currently focusing its advocacy on asking the Administration to specifically fund Medicaid disability supports during this crisis. In addition, we are urging Congress to include disability supports in any upcoming COVID-19 legislative packages – please join us in advocating on behalf of that effort using our one-click advocacy tool.

Note: this content, originally posted on April 21, was updated on April 22.