End of Pandemic-Era Policies in Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services Could Challenge Family Caregivers and Enrollees

Circle of relatives caregivers performed a key function in supporting individuals who used Medicaid home- and community-based services and products (HCBS) right through the COVID pandemic. Many states used new pandemic-era government to reinforce and pay circle of relatives caregivers and care for services and products in alternative ways amid personnel shortages and different demanding situations. Now, a number of states are finishing bills to circle of relatives caregivers and unwinding different pandemic-era insurance policies, which might complicate ongoing personnel shortages and create new demanding situations for enrollees, consistent with survey of state Medicaid HCBS officials from KFF.

Even though many states are strengthening their HCBS systems by means of making COVID-era insurance policies everlasting, different states are bringing them to an finish. A number of the maximum commonplace insurance policies expiring, digital reviews of other people’s eligibility and care wishes will result in 23 states, larger usage limits on current services and products will result in 21 states, and prior authorization necessities will likely be reinstated in 19 states, which can make it tougher for Medicaid enrollees to get entry to HCBS.

Pandemic-era personnel insurance policies may even result in a handful of states, which might exacerbate ongoing personnel shortages as some cost charges go back to decrease ranges and less circle of relatives caregivers are paid for his or her time. The top of circle of relatives caregiver bills will likely be maximum commonplace for other people with highbrow or developmental disabilities and for people who find themselves ages 65 and older or have bodily disabilities.

Over 4 million other people use Medicaid HCBS, KFF estimates. To be eligible for those services and products, people will have to have restricted monetary assets and important useful impairments.

The 50-state survey of state Medicaid HCBS officers used to be carried out between Might and August of 2023.