Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services Final Rule

From Justice in Aging

"The Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services final rule aims to increase access to home and community-based services (HCBS) by establishing mechanisms to ensure adequate payment rates and adequate compensation for direct care workers. The Access rule, along with updates to the Medicaid Managed Care rules, includes other important provisions to address quality and access for Medicaid enrollees to HCBS and Medicaid services more broadly:

• Requiring states to have Beneficiary Advisory Committees to ensure people with lived experience are advising state Medicaid agencies.
• Establishing a grievance process for people receiving HCBS in fee-for-service systems.
• Creating new access and quality measures and reinforcing the importance of the person-centered service planning process with increased oversight. 

We appreciate CMS expressing interest in many of our recommendations for additional actions to reduce the institutional bias, promote prompt access to HCBS, and identify and address inequities."