Compliance with State plan and payment provisions

42 U.S. Code § 1396n. Compliance with State plan and payment provisions

(a) Activities deemed as complianceA State shall not be deemed to be out of compliance with the requirements of paragraphs (1), (10), or (23) of section 1396a(a) of this title solely by reason of the fact that the State (or any political subdivision thereof)—
(1) has entered into—
(A)
a contract with an organization which has agreed to provide care and services in addition to those offered under the State plan to individuals eligible for medical assistance who reside in the geographic area served by such organization and who elect to obtain such care and services from such organization, or by reason of the fact that the plan provides for payment for rural health clinic services only if those services are provided by a rural health clinic; or
(B) arrangements through a competitive bidding process or otherwise for the purchase of laboratory services referred to in section 1396d(a)(3) of this title or medical devices if the Secretary has found that—
(i)
adequate services or devices will be available under such arrangements, and
(ii) any such laboratory services will be provided only through laboratories—
(I)
which meet the applicable requirements of section 1395x(e)(9) of this title or paragraphs (16) and (17) of section 1395x(s) of this title, and such additional requirements as the Secretary may require, and
(II)
no more than 75 percent of whose charges for such services are for services provided to individuals who are entitled to benefits under this subchapter or under part A or part B of subchapter XVIII; or
(2) restricts for a reasonable period of time the provider or providers from which an individual (eligible for medical assistance for items or services under the State plan) can receive such items or services, if—
(A)
the State has found, after notice and opportunity for a hearing (in accordance with procedures established by the State), that the individual has utilized such items or services at a frequency or amount not medically necessary (as determined in accordance with utilization guidelines established by the State), and
(B)
under such restriction, individuals eligible for medical assistance for such services have reasonable access (taking into account geographic location and reasonable travel time) to such services of adequate quality.
(b) Waivers to promote cost-effectiveness and efficiencyThe Secretary, to the extent he finds it to be cost-effective and efficient and not inconsistent with the purposes of this subchapter, may waive such requirements of section 1396a of this title (other than subsection (s)) (other than sections 1396a(a)(15), 1396a(bb), and 1396a(a)(10)(A) of this title insofar as it requires provision of the care and services described in section 1396d(a)(2)(C) of this title) as may be necessary for a State—
(1)
to implement a primary care case-management system or a specialty physician services arrangement which restricts the provider from (or through) whom an individual (eligible for medical assistance under this subchapter) can obtain medical care services (other than in emergency circumstances), if such restriction does not substantially impair access to such services of adequate quality where medically necessary,
(2)
to allow a locality to act as a central broker in assisting individuals (eligible for medical assistance under this subchapter) in selecting among competing health care plans, if such restriction does not substantially impair access to services of adequate quality where medically necessary,
(3)
to share (through provision of additional services) with recipients of medical assistance under the State plan cost savings resulting from use by the recipient of more cost-effective medical care, and
(4)
to restrict the provider from (or through) whom an individual (eligible for medical assistance under this subchapter) can obtain services (other than in emergency circumstances) to providers or practitioners who undertake to provide such services and who meet, accept, and comply with the reimbursement, quality, and utilization standards under the State plan, which standards shall be consistent with the requirements of section 1396r–4 of this title and are consistent with access, quality, and efficient and economic provision of covered care and services, if such restriction does not discriminate among classes of providers on grounds unrelated to their demonstrated effectiveness and efficiency in providing those services and if providers under such restriction are paid on a timely basis in the same manner as health care practitioners must be paid under section 1396a(a)(37)(A) of this title.
No waiver under this subsection may restrict the choice of the individual in receiving services under section 1396d(a)(4)(C) of this title. Subsection (h)(2) shall apply to a waiver under this subsection.
(c) Waiver respecting medical assistance requirement in State plan; scope, etc.; “habilitation services” defined; imposition of certain regulatory limits prohibited; computation of expenditures for certain disabled patients; coordinated services; substitution of participants
(1)
The Secretary may by waiver provide that a State plan approved under this subchapter may include as “medical assistance” under such plan payment for part or all of the cost of home or community-based services (other than room and board) approved by the Secretary which are provided pursuant to a written plan of care to individuals with respect to whom there has been a determination that but for the provision of such services the individuals would require the level of care provided in a hospital or a nursing facility or intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded the cost of which could be reimbursed under the State plan. For purposes of this subsection, the term “room and board” shall not include an amount established under a method determined by the State to reflect the portion of costs of rent and food attributable to an unrelated personal caregiver who is residing in the same household with an individual who, but for the assistance of such caregiver, would require admission to a hospital, nursing facility, or intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded.
(2) A waiver shall not be granted under this subsection unless the State provides assurances satisfactory to the Secretary that—
(A)
necessary safeguards (including adequate standards for provider participation) have been taken to protect the health and welfare of individuals provided services under the waiver and to assure financial accountability for funds expended with respect to such services;
(B) the State will provide, with respect to individuals who—
(i)
are entitled to medical assistance for inpatient hospital services, nursing facility services, or services in an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded under the State plan,
(ii)
may require such services, and
(iii)
may be eligible for such home or community-based care under such waiver,
for an evaluation of the need for inpatient hospital services, nursing facility services, or services in an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded;
(C)
such individuals who are determined to be likely to require the level of care provided in a hospital, nursing facility, or intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded are informed of the feasible alternatives, if available under the waiver, at the choice of such individuals, to the provision of inpatient hospital services, nursing facility services, or services in an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded;
(D)
under such waiver the average per capita expenditure estimated by the State in any fiscal year for medical assistance provided with respect to such individuals does not exceed 100 percent of the average per capita expenditure that the State reasonably estimates would have been made in that fiscal year for expenditures under the State plan for such individuals if the waiver had not been granted; and
(E)
the State will provide to the Secretary annually, consistent with a data collection plan designed by the Secretary, information on the impact of the waiver granted under this subsection on the type and amount of medical assistance provided under the State plan and on the health and welfare of recipients.
(3)
A waiver granted under this subsection may include a waiver of the requirements of section 1396a(a)(1) of this title (relating to statewideness), section 1396a(a)(10)(B) of this title (relating to comparability), and section 1396a(a)(10)(C)(i)(III) of this title (relating to income and resource rules applicable in the community). A waiver under this subsection (other than a waiver described in subsection (h)(2)) shall be for an initial term of three years and, upon the request of a State, shall be extended for additional five-year periods unless the Secretary determines that for the previous waiver period the assurances provided under paragraph (2) have not been met. A waiver may provide, with respect to post-eligibility treatment of income of all individuals receiving services under that waiver, that the maximum amount of the individual’s income which may be disregarded for any month for the maintenance needs of the individual may be an amount greater than the maximum allowed for that purpose under regulations in effect on July 1, 1985.
(4) A waiver granted under this subsection may, consistent with paragraph (2)—
(A)
limit the individuals provided benefits under such waiver to individuals with respect to whom the State has determined that there is a reasonable expectation that the amount of medical assistance provided with respect to the individual under such waiver will not exceed the amount of such medical assistance provided for such individual if the waiver did not apply, and
(B)
provide medical assistance to individuals (to the extent consistent with written plans of care, which are subject to the approval of the State) for case management services, homemaker/home health aide services and personal care services, adult day health services, habilitation services, respite care, and such other services requested by the State as the Secretary may approve and for day treatment or other partial hospitalization services, psychosocial rehabilitation services, and clinic services (whether or not furnished in a facility) for individuals with chronic mental illness.
Except as provided under paragraph (2)(D), the Secretary may not restrict the number of hours or days of respite care in any period which a State may provide under a waiver under this subsection.
(5) For purposes of paragraph (4)(B), the term “habilitation services”—
(A)
means services designed to assist individuals in acquiring, retaining, and improving the self-help, socialization, and adaptive skills necessary to reside successfully in home and community based settings; and
(B)
includes (except as provided in subparagraph (C)) prevocational, educational, and supported employment services; but
(C) does not include—
(i)
special education and related services (as such terms are defined in section 1401 of title 20) which otherwise are available to the individual through a local educational agency; and
(ii)
vocational rehabilitation services which otherwise are available to the individual through a program funded under section 730 of title 29.
(6)
The Secretary may not require, as a condition of approval of a waiver under this section under paragraph (2)(D), that the actual total expenditures for home and community-based services under the waiver (and a claim for Federal financial participation in expenditures for the services) cannot exceed the approved estimates for these services. The Secretary may not deny Federal financial payment with respect to services under such a waiver on the ground that, in order to comply with paragraph (2)(D), a State has failed to comply with such a requirement.
(7)
(A)
In making estimates under paragraph (2)(D) in the case of a waiver that applies only to individuals with a particular illness or condition who are inpatients in, or who would require the level of care provided in, hospitals, nursing facilities, or intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded, the State may determine the average per capita expenditure that would have been made in a fiscal year for those individuals under the State plan separately from the expenditures for other individuals who are inpatients in, or who would require the level of care provided in, those respective facilities.
(B)
In making estimates under paragraph (2)(D) in the case of a waiver that applies only to individuals with developmental disabilities who are inpatients in a nursing facility and whom the State has determined, on the basis of an evaluation under paragraph (2)(B), to need the level of services provided by an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, the State may determine the average per capita expenditures that would have been made in a fiscal year for those individuals under the State plan on the basis of the average per capita expenditures under the State plan for services to individuals who are inpatients in an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, without regard to the availability of beds for such inpatients.
(C)
In making estimates under paragraph (2)(D) in the case of a waiver to the extent that it applies to individuals with mental retardation or a related condition who are resident in an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded the participation of which under the State plan is terminated, the State may determine the average per capita expenditures that would have been made in a fiscal year for those individuals without regard to any such termination.
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