FY 2010 FMAPs Published
The FY 2010 Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAPs)
(http://inside.ffis.org//ff/FMAPS%20for%202010%20from%20FR.pdf)
and enhanced FMAPs were published today in the
Federal Register. They are identical to those published by
FFIS on September 23, 2008, in Issue Brief 08-50.
Happy Thanksgiving! 'Nuf said.
Premiums
and Cost Sharing Final Rule
The final rule for Medicaid premiums and cost-sharing has been published in the
Federal Register. It is attached
(http://inside.ffis.org//ff//Medicaid%20Premiums%20and%20Cost%20Sharing%20FInal%20Rule.pdf.)
UI
Extension Signed into Law
Yesterday, the Senate passed H.R. 6867, the
Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008. The measure
provides an additional seven weeks of federal unemployment insurance (UI)
benefits for those who have exhausted
their regular state unemployment benefits (a maximum of 26 weeks) and adds an
additional 13 weeks for workers
in states with the highest unemployment rates. President Bush signed the
measure this morning.
EPA
Changes Federalism Guidance
On November 19, EPA released revised guidance
regarding federalism implications of EPA rules. The previous guidance
required consultation with state and local governments if a rule or
regulation would pre-empt state or local laws or
impose substantial compliance costs on state and local governments (using $100
million as the threshold), unless those
costs were required by statute or covered by federal funds. The new guidance
lowers the threshold to $25 million.
HUD Announces Changes to Hope for Homeowners Program
Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Preston has announced changes
to the Hope for Homeowners Program.
The program provides up to $300 billion in guarantees for approved lenders that
refinance eligible residential mortgages
of qualifying at-risk homeowners. Currently, the program will insure a
loan for 90% of the home's value. The changes
increase that to 96.5%, reducing the potential loss for lenders. Other changes
include making up-front payments to
extinguish subordinate liens and allowing lenders to extend mortgage terms from
30 to 40 years.
GAO Releases Statement on State Fiscal Challenges, FMAP Targeting
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) yesterday issued a statement
(GAO-09-0210T) on health care. According
to the GAO, growth in health-related costs is the primary driver of the
fiscal challenges facing state and local governments
over the long term, with Medicaid a key component. These challenges are
exacerbated during economic downturns, which
historically result in larger-than-projected increases in Medicaid eligibility.
The GAO also developed a model for a new, separate
assistance formula with an economic trigger and a method to target supplemental
Medicaid funding to states during a downturn.
The GAO testimony can be found at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09210t.pdf.
CMS Issues Final Reg on DRA Medicaid Flexibility
Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made public a
final regulation on Medicaid premiums and
cost sharing. The final regulation interprets and implements sections of the
Deficit Reduction Act (P.L. 109-171) and the
Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-432), which provide state
Medicaid agencies additional flexibility to implement
premium and cost-sharing requirements for certain Medicaid recipients. The
regulation is scheduled to be published in the
November 25, 2008, Federal Register and to take effect on January
26, 2009.
A copy of the regulation is available at:
http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2008-27717_PI.pdf.
On Monday, November 3, 2008, the Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Dear State Medicaid Director
Letter regarding the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers
Act of 2008. A copy of the letter is attached.
CMS Issues Final Rule on
On November 7th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published
in the Federal Register a final regulation
regarding payment for outpatient hospital and clinic services. Earlier this
year, Congress approved legislation (P.L. 110-252)
that included moratoria on six other regulations; however, the outpatient
hospital/clinic rule was not included. The final
rule, titled "Medicaid Program: Clarification of Hospital Outpatient
Hospital Facility (Including Outpatient Hospital Clinic)
Services Definition," is scheduled to take effect December 8, 2008.
DHS Releases Grant Guidance
Last Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released guidance for
the FY 2009 State Homeland
Security Grant Program (SHSGP), which provides more than $3 billion to
states, urban areas and transportation authorities,
including $861.3 million for State Homeland Security grants and $798.6 million
for Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grants.
A fact sheet can be found at:
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1225902190251.shtm