CMS extends waivers for the Medicaid unwinding process again

CMS has extended the Medicaid unwinding waivers that it previously extended in December 2023, according to an informational bulletin from the agency.

“CMS is committed to supporting state efforts help eligible individuals renew and maintain coverage, as states continue to make necessary changes to ensure compliance with federal renewal requirements and return to timely processing of eligibility and enrollment actions,” the agency stated.

The bulletin announced that states can continue leveraging section 1902(e)(14)(A) waivers through June 30, 2025. These flexibilities include temporary verification plan updates and temporary Medicaid and CHIP state plan amendments related to the unwinding.

Under the current informational bulletin, the waivers have been extended through June 30, 2025. Originally, the deadline for unwinding renewals was June 2024. In December 2023, CMS extended the waivers to December 31, 2024.

In the future, some section 1902(e)(14)(A) waivers might be available on a long-standing basis. Some similar waivers have already been expanded into long-standing waivers under the “Streamlining the Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Basic Health Program Application, Eligibility Determination, and Renewal Processes” final rule.

CMS clarified in the bulletin that the waivers may be used for an individual more than once under certain conditions. Those conditions may vary based on the waiver.

CMS exemplified this through a waiver that allows states to use SNAP benefits as part of the Medicaid coverage renewal process. If the state used SNAP benefits to confirm an individual’s Medicaid eligibility in September 2023, the state could do so again in 2024, provided that certain requirements have not changed.

However, two waivers can be reused for the same individual even if their conditions have changed: the waivers that permit ex parte income determinations for individuals whose eligibility was determined due to a zero-dollar or 100 percent federal poverty level strategy and those for whom the state checked their electronic data but no information was returned.

States can also extend their Verification Plan Addendums through June 30, 2025, CMS announced. However, they must maintain records of the extension. They can also delay procedural enrollments using a timeliness exception, giving themselves more bandwidth to conduct outreach about renewals.

States do not have to contact CMS to extend their waivers or Verification Plan Addendums or to delay procedural enrollments with a timeliness exception. Additionally, they can still request approval for new flexibilities.