In an informational bulletin, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will further extend waivers for “unwinding” under Section 1902(e)(14)(A) of the Social Security Act until June 30, 2025. The bulletin also provides information about how certain other temporary COVID-19 flexibilities can be extended through the same date. “Unwinding” refers to the requisite process by which states conduct renewals of enrollment of nearly all Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program beneficiaries. The waivers were originally adopted by many states throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency to respond effectively to issues caused by the pandemic, to comply with COVID-19-related laws, and specifically to protect continuity of coverage during their unwinding periods.

CMS is now extending the waivers to “maximize states’ ability to ensure that eligible individuals retain coverage.” Thus, states may continue to use unwinding-related waiver authority, provided that the terms and conditions of the original waiver continue to be met. A new request is not necessary. CMS also stated that it will permit states to use two Section 1902(e)(14)(A) waivers more than once for the same individual even when certain conditions of the initial waiver approval are not met. The informational bulletin provides further details and some FAQs. The full text of the bulletin can be accessed here.

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