On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP)(Pub.L. 117-2). Section 9817 of the ARP provides qualifying states with a temporary 10 percentage point increase in federal matching funds for certain Medicaid expenditures for home and community-based services. On May 13, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a State Medicaid Director Letter (SMD# 21-003) to provide guidance to states on the implementation of Section 9817 of the ARP and to identify additional funding opportunities for states to enhance and increase access and support for services delivered in home and community-based settings (HCBS). Sellers Dorsey summarized the most recent CMS guidance issued through SMD# 21-003 in an in-depth analysis and presentation below.
