MEDICAID BASICS: A QUESTION AND ANSWER GUIDE
Health Lawyers’ Public Information SeriesMEDICAID BASICS: A QUESTION ANDANSWER GUIDE ABOUT ELIGIBILITY,COVERAGE, AND BENEFITS-“.to serve as a public resource on selected healthcare legal issues”—From the Mission Statement of the American Health Lawyers Association
Copyright 2006 byAmerican Health Lawyers AssociationSecond reprint 2008. All websites have been updated as of April 1, 2008.This publication can be downloaded free of charge atwww.healthlawyers.org/medicaidguide and at www.healthlawyers.org/factsheet. Other resources in the PublicInformation Series are available at www.healthlawyers.org/publicinterest/piseries.This publication may be reproduced in part or in whole without prior written permission from the publisher.Attribution to American Health Lawyers Association is requested.1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 600Washington, DC 20036-5405Telephone: (202) 833-1100Facsimile: (202) 833-1105E-mail: info@healthlawyers.orgWebsite: www.healthlawyers.org“This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is providedwith the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal or other professional services. If legal advice or otherexpert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.”—-from a declaration of the American Bar Association
TABLE OF CONTENTSMedicaid Basics: A Question and Answer Guideabout Eligibility, Coverage, and BenefitsPreface .2Introduction .4Q&As .7What is Medicaid? .7Is Medicaid a state or federal program? .7Who pays for Medicaid? .7What is the difference between Medicaidand Medicare?.7What is CMS? .8Why should I apply for Medicaidcoverage? .8Who qualifies for Medicaid coverage? .9May I have both Medicare and Medicaid at thesame time? .9What is Medicaid planning and howdoes it affect eligibility? .9What assets may I own and stillqualify for Medicaid? .10What are the “spend down” provisions ofMedicaid? .10What is a Medicaid Trust? .11What does Medicaid cover? .11What are the most commonly covered optionalservices under the Medicaid program? .11Do I have to obtain pre-authorizationfrom Medicaid before I can retrievehealthcare services? .12Can I obtain Medicaid coverage ifI am out of state? .12What do I have to pay for if I amon Medicaid? .12Will I be able to select any healthcareprovider if I have Medicaid? .12Where do I go for help in gettingon Medicaid? .12What if I don't qualify for Medicaid?Is there any other help for me? .13What can I do if I disagree with adecision made by my Medicaid program?.13Appendix A:Fact Sheet.15Appendix B:Fact Sheet (in Spanish).17Appendix C:Glossary .19Authors .211
PREFACEIn January 2006, American Health LawyersAssociation (Health Lawyers) released a MedicaidConsumer Information Fact Sheet. The Fact Sheet wasprepared to help those who needed to navigate theunfamiliar requirements of different states’Medicaid programs and to help those who weredealing with Medicaid for the first time. The FactSheet provided easy-to-use website links and phonenumbers for the Medicaid programs in all 50 statesand was a starting point to aid those needing assistance in obtaining payment for medical care.After all the destruction that has happened in theGulf Coast areas and Florida, we wanted to provide apublication that would help individuals who are unfamiliar with their new state health laws. I’m confidentthat our newly published Medicaid ConsumerInformation Fact Sheet will help those displaced individuals and the healthcare community find, quicklyand easily, the Medicaid information they need fortheir new area of relocation.The Fact Sheet is now a part of Medicaid Basics: AQuestion and Answer Guide about Eligibility, Coverage,and Benefits (Guide). Initiated in 2004, the PublicInformation Series is one aspect of Health Lawyers’public interest commitment as a tax-exempt educational association. Written primarily for a publicaudence, the Public Information Series enablesHealth Lawyers’ to share its expertise on topics ofinterest to healthcare attorneys and the broaderhealthcare community, including healthcare professionals, healthcare executives, public health agencies, pro bono attorneys, and consumer groups.The question and answer format in the Guide isdesigned to assist individuals understand the basicsabout the Medicaid program. It includes a generaloverview about the program, eligibility, and coverage; a glossary of selected healthcare terms; andFact Sheets in English, Spanish, and traditionalChinese.Health Lawyers’ Public InterestCommitmentHealth Lawyers’ Public Information Series is one of avariety of public interest activities conducted by the10,000-member educational association under its mission statement pledge “.to serve as a public resourceon selected healthcare legal issues.” The Associationfulfills its public interest commitment through twotypes of activities. The Public Information Series andoutreach activities to pro bono attorneys, legal aid soci-2eties, and consumers provide avenues through whichHealth Lawyers shares its members’ legal expertisewith society at large. Health Lawyers’ commitment topublic interest also includes a variety of nonpartisanpublic policy-related activities that seek to further thedevelopment of sound health policy. These includesponsorship of the Conversations with Policymakersteleconference series and periodic issue briefings forhealth policy analysts and reporters. Health Lawyers’public interest activities are financed, in part, throughfinancial contributions from its members and theirfirms or organizations.Acknowledgements About the AuthorsThe American Health Lawyers Association wishes toextend special thanks to those who assisted in thepreparation of the Medicaid Consumer InformationFact Sheet as well as this resource on Medicaid Basics:A Question and Answer Guide about Eligibility,Coverage, and Benefits.Myra C. Selby, Ice Miller, Indianapolis, INThomas W. Coons, OBER KALER, Baltimore, MDSpecial thanks to the former Chair of theRegulation, Accreditation, and Payment PracticeGroup, Eric P. Zimmerman, of McDermott Will &Emery, Washington, DC, for coordinating the project for the practice group; the former Chair of theLong Term Care Practice Group, Christopher C.Puri, of Boult Cummings Conners & Berry PLC,Nashville, TN, for both coordinating the projectand authoring sections of the text; Nancy C.Armentrout, Director of Legislative Affairs,California Association of Health Facilities,Sacramento, CA; Barbara D.A. Eyman of Ropes &Gray LLP, Washington, DC; Kathryn (Kate)Spaziani, Director of Legislative Affairs, U.S. Rep.Ron Kind (D-WI), Washington, DC; Hemi D.Tewarson, General Counsel’s Office, GovernmentAccountability Office, Washington, DC; and Joel M.Hamme, of Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville PC,Washington, DC.
INTRODUCTIONPREFACEWe would like to thank Lisa Diehl Vandecaveye,Corporate Vice President, Legal Affairs, BotsfordHealthCare Continuum, Farmington Hills, MI, forher assistance and the following students in herHealth Care Regulation course at the University ofToledo College of Law:Amanda DavisAmy GreeneDaniel HenryJoseph WalshGregory WolenbergLast but not least, the Public Interest Committeeextends its appreciation to Kerry B. Hoggard, CAE,PAHM, Vice President of Membership and PublicInterest, for her assistance in the production of thispublication, and to Peter M. Leibold, HealthLawyers’ Executive Vice President/CEO, for supporting this type of resource that benefits bothmembers of the health bar and healthcare consumers.If you have suggestions for future publications inHealth Lawyers’ Public Information Series, pleasecontact Kerry B. Hoggard at (202) 833-0760 orkhoggard@healthlawyers.org or Katherine E. Wone,J.D., Manager of Public Interest, at (202) 833-0787or kwone@healthlawyers.org.Elise D. BrennanAHLA FellowAuthor, Contributor, Medicaid Basics: A Question andAnswer Guide about Eligibility, Coverage, and BenefitsChair, 2005–2006 Public Interest Committee3
INTRODUCTIONMedicaid Basics: A Questionand Answer Guide aboutEligibility, Coverage, and BenefitsThe Question and Answer component of the publication is divided into several categories:The complexity of the Social Security Act and itshealthcare programs, including Medicare andMedicaid, is daunting. Indeed, even the courtsentrusted with understanding and interpreting provisions related to these programs freely acknowledgetheir bewilderment when confronted with thornyissues relating to their administration. As a result,terms like “Byzantine,” “unintelligible to the uninitiated,” “impenetrable,” and “Serbian bog” abound inMedicare and Medicaid case law. Eligibility issues;Given this complexity and the frequency with whichCongress amends and reforms these programs, itshould come as no surprise that many Americans donot understand the basic structure of these programs or the fundamental differences betweenthem. Even worse, the beneficiaries of these programs—many of whom are elderly, poor, and/orunsophisticated—are often forced to navigate theseprograms with little or no assistance. Moreover, evenwhere assistance or resources are available fromstate Medicaid programs, legal aid attorneys or personnel, potential beneficiaries may have no idea ofwhere to turn for help in understanding their rightsand benefits.Recognizing the plight of many potential Medicaidbeneficiaries and of the attorneys and other individuals who may be enlisted to assist them, the AmericanHealth Lawyers Association (Health Lawyers) determined that it could furnish timely and useful information in this area. As such, the Association developedMedicaid Basics: A Question and Answer Guide aboutEligibility, Coverage and Benefits (Guide), as part of itsPublic Information Series. The Guide will be updatedperiodically to account for new trends and additionalinformation. The Guide can be downloaded free ofcharge at www.healthlawyers.org/medicaidguide andat www.healthlawyers.org/factsheet. We hope it willprovide needed information to potential Medicaidbeneficiaries struggling with basic questions about theprogram as well as to attorneys who are confrontedwith such questions but who may not be as conversantwith Medicaid as they would like.This Guide is divided into multiple sections. The preface identifies the need that led to the development ofthe publication. It is an excellent articulation ofHealth Lawyers’ public interest commitment andacknowledges the individuals whose time, efforts, andexpertise were invaluable in producing this resource.4 Basic information about Medicaid; Coverage questions; and General inquiries.Legal citations are furnished in footnotes to enableattorneys to conduct additional research if needed.The Questions and Answers are the heart of the publication, and although many questions about Medicaidare invariably state-specific, Health Lawyers hasendeavored to furnish general information with pertinent details. The Association also encourages readersto contact it with additional questions and answers orsupplemental information that would bolster the publication or help keep it current.Three appendices complete this publication.Appendix A is the Medicaid Consumer Information FactSheet, which includes the web addresses and phonenumbers for all state Medicaid agencies. Thoseaddresses may be utilized to obtain further contactinformation and to answer questions about a particular state’s Medicaid program and its policies.Appendix B is the Spanish version of Appendix A,and a version in traditional Chinese is availableonline. Finally, Appendix C is a glossary of relevantterms related to the Medicaid program.Health Lawyers hopes that this publication willbecome an indispensable resource not only to itsmembers but also to Medicaid consumers and otherswho work and provide assistance in this area. HealthLawyers is pleased to offer this publication as an integral part of its mission to educate its members and thepublic on health law issues.Joel M. HammePresident, 2008-2009American Health Lawyers Association
American Health Lawyers AssociationPublic Information SeriesProduced as a part of Health Lawyers’ public interest commitment to serve as a public resource on selected healthcare legal issues, these resources enable the Association to share its members’ expertise on topics of interest both to healthcare attorneys and the broader healthcare community, including health professionals, healthcare executives, public health agencies, pro bono attorneys, and consumer groups.Additional resources in the Public Information Series include:Emergency Preparedness, Response & RecoveryChecklist: Beyond the Emergency Management Planwww.healthlawyers.org/checklistLessons Learned from the Gulf Coast Hurricaneswww.healthlawyers.org/lessonslearnedA Legal Guide to Life-Limiting id Benefits and Eligibility: ConsumerInformation Fact Sheets (in English, Spanish, andtraditional Chinese)www.healthlawyers.org/factsheetCorporate Responsibility and CorporateCompliance: A Resource for Health Care Boardsof An Integrated Approach to Corporate Compliance:A Resource for Health Care Boards of ife-Limiting Conditions One Pagerswww.healthlaywers.org/onepagersMedicaid Basics: A Question and Answer Guideabout Eligibility, Coverage and te Responsibility and Health Care Quality:A Resource for Health Care Boards of ming June, 2008 Considerations for People with Disabilities and Their Familieswww.healthlawyers.org/disabilitiesMedical Research: A Consumer’s Guide for ommunity Pan-Flu Preparedness: A Checklist of Key Legal Issues for Healthcare Providerswww.healthlawyers.org/panfluchecklist5
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MEDICAID BASICSThomas W. Coons, EsquireElise Dunitz Brennan, EsquireChristopher C. Puri, EsquireHemi D. Tewarson, EsquireKathryn (Kate) Spaziani, EsquireLisa Diehl Vandecaveye, Esquire1. What is Medicaid?Medicaid is a joint federal and state entitlement program that provides coverage for medical and relatedservices. Enacted in 1965 by Congress as a companion to the Medicare program, Medicaid was originally designed as a healthcare program for welfarerecipients.1 Today the program is a 270 billion public health insurance program for low-income individuals and the largest long-term care program forthe disabled and elderly.22. Is Medicaid a state or federalprogram?Medicaid is a federal and state partnership. Thefederal government has established broad guidelines for the program and pays for a share of theprogram’s costs under a statutory formula.3Medicaid is a voluntary program for states and territories. States that choose to participate are requiredto meet certain minimum federal standards regarding eligibility and services covered, but otherwiseretain broad flexibility in administering their individual Medicaid programs.4 Despite the voluntarynature of the program, every state and territory participates in Medicaid.Although states are responsible for operating theirindividual Medicaid programs, the federal government possesses significant oversight over these programs. For example, each state must maintain a written state Medicaid plan (known as a “State Plan”) inorder for services provided to its Medicaid population to qualify for federal funding. The State Planmust provide details about administration, eligibility,coverage of services, beneficiary protections, andreimbursement methodologies. Exercising its oversight function, the federal government mustMyra C. Selby, EsquireJoel M. Hamme, EsquireEric P. Zimmerman, EsquireBarbara D.A. Eyman, EsquireNancy C. Armentrout, Esquireapprove all State Plans and any changes that aremade to the Plans (State Plan Amendments).53. Who pays for Medicaid?The Medicaid program is generally funded by federal and state government dollars. The federal government reimburses states for a share of costs associated with their Medicaid programs. This federal financial participation (FFP) is available for two types ofcosts incurred by states: those relating to services forMedicaid recipients and those relating to administering the program.6 The level of FFP for servicecosts varies by state—that is, the federal governmentpays a greater share of Medicaid service costs forsome states than it does for others. This is becausethe statutory formula that determines FFP providesgreater federal assistance to states with lower percapita incomes.7 FFP for Medicaid services mayrange from 50% to 83%.8 Administrative costs in allstates are generally matched by the federal government at 50% (with the exception of higher federalcontributions for certain types of services).9States also have the authority to impose limited costsharing on certain Medicaid recipients. These obligations, such as enrollment fees, premiums,deductibles, coinsurance, or co-payments, must beidentified and approved in the State Plan.10 Notably,recent changes in federal law have provided stateswith additional flexibility to utilize cost sharing.(See Question 13 for additional information.)4. What is the difference betweenMedicaid and Medicare?Although the Medicare and Medicaid programswere enacted by Congress at the same time, theywere designed to target different groups of people1 Social Security Act (“SSA”) Amendments of 1965, Pub. L. No. 89-97; Medicaid: A Timeline of Key Developments. Kaiser FamilyFoundation, available at: www.kff.org/medicaid/medicaid timeline.cfm (last visited April 1, 2008).2 Historical Health Insurance Tables, U.S. Census Bureau; Medicaid: A Primer, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured(July 2005).3 SSA § 1903 (42 U.S.C. § 1396b).4 Medicaid: A Primer, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (July 2005).5 See SSA § 1902 (42 U.S.C. § 1396a) (setting forth requirements for State Plans).6 SSA §§1903(a), 1905(b) (42 U.S.C. §§ 1396b(a), 1396d(b)).7 SSA §§ 1101(a)(8), 1903(a)(1), 1905(b) (42 U.S.C. §§ 1301(a)(8), 1396b(a)(1), 1396d(b)).8 Id.9 SSA § 1903(a)(2)-(7) (42 U.S.C. § 1396b(a)(2)-(7)).10 SSA § 1916 (42 U.S.C. § 1396o); 42 C.F.R. § 447.50 et seq.7
and to operate in significantly different ways. Bothare entitlement programs—meaning, all individualshave a legal right to apply for the programs, and, ifthey meet the eligibility criteria, they are entitled toreceive coverage.11Medicare is a federally administered, nationwidehealthcare coverage program for the elderly and
Apr 01, 2008 · information and to answer questions about a particu-lar state’s Medicaid program and its policies. Appendix B is the Spanish version of Appendix A, and a version in traditional Chinese is available online. Finally, Appendix C is a glossary of relevant terms related to the Medicaid
The MAX Medicaid policy issue brief series highlights the essential role MAX data can play in analyzing the Medicaid program. MAX is a set of annual, person-level data files on Medicaid eligibility, service utilization, and payments that are derived from state reporting of Medicaid eligibility and claims data into the Medicaid Statistical Infor-
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GCSE (91) edia Studies C 2019 Contents Introduction 3 Question 1 4 Question 2 6 Question 3 9 Question 4 13 Question 5 14 Question 6 16 Question 7 17 Question 8 18 Question 9 20 Would you prefer a Word version? Did you know that you can save this pdf as a Word file using Acrobat Pr
COMBATING MEDICAID FRAUD AND ABUSE no way they're going to participate in the Medicaid program," observes Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.6 Strategies to Combat Fraud and Abuse Fraud and abuse can be committed by both Medicaid providers and patients. But in the project's review of federal
fingerprint-based criminal background checks for high-risk providers in Medicaid, and 2. To describe the remaining challenges to the implementation of criminal background checks in Medicaid. An effective provider enrollment screening process is an important tool for preventing Medicaid fraud. To protect Medicaid against fraudulent and
Name of State Medicaid Agency: Executive Office of Health and Human Services Name of Contact(s) at State Medicaid Agency: Matt Stark E-Mail Address(es) of Contact(s) at State Medicaid Agency: Matt.Stark@ohhs.ri.gov Telephone Number(s) of Contact(s) at State Medicaid Agency: (401) 871-5710 Date of IAPD Submission to CMS: August 17, 2017
Managed Care 101 Medicaid, Managed Care, and Children More than 70% of Medicaid beneficiaries are enrolled in private managed care organizations (MCOs) Almost 9 of every 10 children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP receive health care through a managed care arrangement 39 states rely on MCOs to cover all or some of their Medicaid
