Use of Emergency Medicaid State Plan Amendments During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Executive Summary

States have several paths to address Medicaid coverage for COVID-19, including State Plan Amendments (SPA), section 1135 authority, and other waivers. CMS recently released a SPA template for options related to the pandemic. This issue brief discusses the emerging issues of SPA authority in six states and provides recommendations to advocates and states on how to use the authority to expand Medicaid coverage during and after the emergency.

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