CMS offers new guidance to help lower income Americans obtain affordable, comprehensive coverage
On March 16, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule to help states make it easier for millions more Americans to enroll in comprehensive coverage under the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance (CHIP) programs. This rule will help states implement the significant expansion in the numbers of Americans eligible for Medicaid that is set to go into effect in 2014 under the health reform legislation (Affordable Care Act). The rule addresses eligibility and enrollment for Medicaid and SCHIP, among other areas.
Prior to Affordable Care Act (ACA), many non-elderly, low-income adult Americans—including cancer survivors and their caregivers—were not eligible for coverage under Medicaid, and people’s eligibility varied dramatically depending upon the state in which they lived. They often had few, if any, options for coverage.
ACA fills in many gaps in coverage in the current Medicaid system by expanding federal eligibility rules to millions of Americans who weren’t eligible before. This historic expansion marks the first time many low-income adults without children or disabilities will be able to enroll in comprehensive Medicaid coverage.
This regulation seeks to provide people with a streamlined way to learn about whether they are eligible for affordable and comprehensive Medicaid or CHIP coverage, along with a more straightforward way to enroll.
NCCS will examine the contents of this regulation with a particular eye to its impact on cancer survivors.
