Volume 41 - Issue 46 - November 17, 2022
State of Kansas
Department of Health and Environment
Division of Health Care Finance
Notice of Application
The State of Kansas will submit a five-year Medicaid 1115 demonstration waiver renewal application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in December 2022 for an anticipated effective date of January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2028, seeking federal approval to renew select initiatives of the KanCare program (Project Number 11-W-00283/7). No impacts to eligibility, services, or benefits are anticipated because of this renewal.
This abbreviated public notice provides information regarding the proposed renewal request to CMS.
The renewal seeks to continue the authorization of the State of Kansas to provide critical elements of the KanCare 2.0 demonstration waiver that cannot be transitioned to more permanent Medicaid authorities. The elements that would continue under the KanCare 1115 demonstration waiver renewal include:
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Coverage
Maintains access to specific SUD services and the SUD institutions for mental disease (IMD) exclusion to continue the success of enhanced access to care for members with a SUD.
12-month Continuous Eligibility Coverage
Renews the 12-month continuous eligibility coverage for parents and other caretaker relatives using Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). This renewal will support continued access to Medicaid services and reduce churn in the Medicaid program, providing better opportunities to access care.
Public Health Emergency (PHE) Coverage
Maintains continuous eligibility for individuals enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) who turn 19 during the PHE in order to reduce gaps in coverage immediately after the PHE. It also maintains access to federal financial participation (i.e., federal share of funding) for this continuous eligibility coverage.
The draft KanCare 1115 demonstration waiver renewal, the full public notice, and Tribal notification have been posted on the KanCare website at https://www.kancare.ks.gov.
About the Renewal
Given the success and stability of the current KanCare program, Kansas proposes to transition features of the Section 1115 demonstration that do not require 1115 demonstration waiver expenditure authority to more permanent federal authorities. While this transition will impact the way the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) interact with CMS, the intent of this renewal is to ensure people still have access to the care and services they have come to expect through the demonstration. This approach also seeks to preserve needed flexibilities for the KanCare program, while providing certainty to KanCare members that the program will continue for years to come.
Kansas’s vision for the 1115 demonstration waiver renewal is to embed successful waiver programs within more permanent Medicaid authorities, thus creating a stable and supportive safety net for KanCare beneficiaries. The 1115 demonstration waiver renewal will maintain stability for continuous eligibility and SUD services that cannot be authorized elsewhere and therefore has a goal of providing enhanced access to services for Kansas Medicaid beneficiaries.
Opportunities to Provide Input
The draft KanCare Medicaid 1115 demonstration waiver renewal is open for public comment from November 17, 2022 to December 17, 2022. The State of Kansas encourages all interested parties — members, families, caregivers, providers, tribal partners, managed care organizations — to provide input through the process described below.
All materials related to the renewal package can be found at https://www.kancare.ks.gov. If you do not have access to the Internet, a written copy of the draft demonstration waiver renewal can be made available upon request at the reception desks for:
Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Division of Health Care Finance
Landon State Office Building, 9th Floor
900 SW Jackson
Topeka, KS 66612
Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services
New England Building
503 S. Kansas Ave.
Topeka, KS 66603
Where to Submit Written Comments
Any member of the public may submit written comments about the demonstration to KanCareRenewal@ks.gov or mail written comments to:
KanCare Renewal
c/o Kurt Weiter
Kansas Department of Health and Environment
LSOB – 9th floor
900 SW Jackson
Topeka, KS 66603
Deadline to Submit Written Comments
Written comments must be received by KDHE at the above email or mailing address no later than 5:00 p.m. (CST) December 17, 2022, which is 30 days after the date of publication of the abbreviated public notice in the Kansas Register. Written comments will be printed or summarized in the final demonstration waiver renewal application submitted to CMS and made available on state and federal websites.
Public Hearings
In addition to the opportunity to submit written comments, KDHE will seek public input on the demonstration at the following formal public hearings, both of which will include opportunities for the public to provide comments verbally.
Public Hearing #1: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 6, 2022, Eisenhower State Office Building, Auditorium A and B, 700 SW Harrison St., Topeka, Kansas.
Public Hearing #2: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 7, 2022, Virtual Zoom Meeting, register at https://www.kancare.ks.gov.
Doc. No. 050671
