The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission released its March 2021 Report to Congress, which included recommendations to improve Medicaid's response during economic downturns, address concerns about high maternal morbidity rates and change Medicaid's estate recovery policies.
Four key takeaways:
1. MACPAC is calling on Congress to enact an automatic Medicaid financing adjustment that will counteract fluctuations in the economy to ensure federal funds flow quickly to Medicaid during economic downturns.
2. The commission recommends that Congress require states to expand postpartum coverage under Medicaid from 60 days to a full year with a 100 percent federal match. The recommendation was made to address the "unacceptably high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity among people of color generally and among those covered by Medicaid specifically," the commission stated.
3. Currently, state Medicaid programs are required to seek recovery from the estates of certain deceased beneficiaries for payments for long-term care and support services. The commission recommends Congress revert to a prior law, making estate recovery optional for state Medicaid programs, rather than mandatory.
4. The commission also looked at how to better coordinate care for individuals who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. According to MACPAC, these individuals may experience fragmented care and poor health outcomes when their Medicaid and Medicare benefits are not coordinated. As a first step, the commission recommends lawmakers consider the overarching goals of establishing a unified program for dually eligible beneficiaries. Some of the considerations outlined include ensuring beneficiaries have access to care and choices when it comes to enrollment and care selection.
Access the full report here.