CMS to Rescind Obama-era Administrative Monitoring Requirements Under Medicaid

The current regulations are valuable but shouldn't be mandatory, the Trump administration says, outlining a new rule and new guidance.

A set of administrative requirements that the Obama administration imposed in 2015 on state Medicaid programs would be rescinded under a new proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Thursday.

Under the current regulatory framework, states are required to develop access monitoring review plans (AMRP), submit them to CMS, and update them at least every three years. Many states have complained that the AMRP requirements are burdensome and may not accurately reflect the access to care provided by a state's Medicaid program, according to the Trump administration.

"While we believe the process described in the current regulatory text is a valuable tool for states to use to demonstrate the sufficiency of provider payment rates, we believe mandating states to collect the specific information as described excessively constrains state freedom to administer the program in the manner that is best for the state and Medicaid beneficiaries in the state," CMS said in the proposed rule.

The agency said it will use its new proposed rule and related guidance documentation to continue working with states to ensure that beneficiaries have sufficient access to care.

"From my first day at CMS, the agency has made it a priority to partner with States so they have the flexibility they need to implement their Medicaid programs in the best way possible for their beneficiaries," CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement. "Rather than micromanaging State programs through complex federal mandates, CMS is easing the administrative burden on States while focusing on holding them accountable for delivering high-quality, accessible care to beneficiaries."