Press Releases
Statement for Change Healthcare Non-enforcement Medicaid Informational Bulletin
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to address the impact of the cybersecurity incident at UnitedHealth Group’s subsidiary, Change Healthcare. Today, CMS announced important flexibilities to help state Medicaid agencies provide needed relief to Medicaid providers and protect access to health care coverage.
In particular, CMS is announcing flexibilities to ensure that states can start making interim payments to providers affected by the Change Healthcare cybersecurity incident. CMS is encouraging states to submit Medicaid state plan amendments (SPAs) for authority to make certain interim payments for services providers have rendered but for which the provider cannot submit claims. To support states considering this option, CMS released guidance today on related flexibilities, including the option for states to start making interim payments retroactively to the date when claims payment processing was disrupted due to the cybersecurity incident, for claims affected by the cybersecurity incident, and may begin to draw FFP as soon as the state submits an appropriate Medicaid SPA, subject to certain guardrails and conditions outlined in the guidance.
CMS continues to encourage states and other impacted stakeholders to protect critical links to health care coverage. The agency remains in close contact with state Medicaid agencies, health plans, providers, suppliers, and others to better understand their concerns. CMS will continue to work with partners to the full extent of its authority to support those who make health care possible for the millions served by CMS programs.
Additionally, CMS previously extended the data submission deadline and is now reopening the 2023 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (EUC) Exception Application to provide relief to clinicians impacted by this cybersecurity incident. The application will be open for the remainder of the data submission period, which closes April 15, 2024.
Visit https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/cib031524.pdf to review today’s informational bulletin. For details on previous actions implemented for the Medicare program, consult this fact sheet.
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