In April 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced a new rule called the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services Rule (Access Rule). This rule aims to make it easier for people to access important services and focuses on improving the quality of these services.
What Services Are Included?
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) that support people in their daily lives are included, such as:
- Personal care — Help with bathing, dressing, and eating.
- Homemaker services — Help with cleaning, cooking, and household tasks.
- Home health services — Medical care that happens at home.
- Habilitation services — Support to help people learn new skills or maintain independence.
What Changes Are Coming?
The Access Rule requires states like Maine to improve access to these services and make sure they meet certain quality standards:
- Person-Centered Planning — Making sure people’s services are based on their individual needs and choices.
- Payment and Workforce — Ensuring there are enough workers, and they are paid fairly.
- Access to Services — Making sure everyone who qualifies can get the services they need.
- Grievance Management — Helping people voice concerns or complaints about their services.
- Incident Management — Tracking and addressing any issues that affect people’s health or safety.
- Quality Measures — Checking how well the services are working.
- Beneficiary Engagement — Giving people who use Medicaid services a chance to share their experiences and ideas.
- Website Transparency — Making sure information about services is clear and easy to find online.