C-TAC Weekly Policy Roundup: CMS Extends Primary Care First Cohort 2 Application Deadlines

Each week, C-TAC compiles the latest legislative and regulatory updates affecting the serious illness care field, combined with insider analysis from our policy experts.

• CMS Extends Primary Care First Cohort 2 Application Deadlines
• Biden Seeks More Funding for Home- and Community-Based Services in Budget Proposal
• Senate Finance Committee Holding Confirmation Hearing for Biden’s Nominee to Lead CMS, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, on April 15
• CMS Ends Nursing Home COVID Waivers Related to Discharges, Transfers, and MDS Timelines

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CMS Extends Primary Care First Cohort 2 Application Deadlines

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Monday that it is extending the application deadline for Primary Care First Cohort 2 to May 21, 2021 and the payer application deadline has been extended to June 18, 2021.

CMS will also host two additional Q&A sessions for potential practice and payer applicants ahead of the new PCF application deadlines. The PCF Practice Office Hour will be held at 2 PM ET on May 5. Experts will address eligibility, payment design and attribution, etc. To register, click here. The PCF Payer Office Hour will be held at 2 PM ET on May 12. The PCF Model team will be answering questions about the solicitation process and rubric, alignment principles, and more. To register, click here. For more information about PCF, please click here.

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Biden Seeks More Funding for Home- and Community-Based Services in Budget Proposal

President Joe Biden released a preview of his discretionary budget for the 2022 fiscal year on April 9, which includes $551 million for home- and community-based services (HCBS), coming on top of the $400 billion planned  for these services in his recently announced infrastructure plan. The discretionary budget calls for doubling funding for the Lifespan Respite Care program, as well as increasing resources for meal programs for older adults. C-TAC applauds this move as another demonstration of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to improving care for people with serious illness at the community level. Click here to learn more.

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Senate Finance Committee Holding Confirmation Hearing for Biden’s Nominee to Lead CMS, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, on April 15

The Senate Finance Committee will be holding a hearing at 9:30 AM ET this Thursday, April 15, regarding the confirmation of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure as the next CMS Administrator. LaSure, who was announced as President Biden’s pick for the position in February, is a veteran of CMS under the Obama Administration. The hearing will also consider the nomination of Andrea Palm to serve as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Palm previously led the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

To watch a live stream of the hearing on Thursday, click here.

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CMS Ends Nursing Home COVID Waivers Related to Discharges, Transfers, and MDS Timelines

CMS announced on April 8 that it is ending several emergency regulatory waivers designed to give nursing homes flexibility in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The waivers relate specifically to patient transfers and discharges, as well as the timeframe requirements for completing and transmitting a patient’s Minimum Data Set (MDS). With this change, nursing homes must once again notify residents 30 days in advance “or as soon as practicable” before transferring or discharging them. Nursing homes are also now required to complete and submit MDS assessments under the old regulations, since most facilities have been able to do this in a timely way, said CMS in a memo to state survey agency directors. For more information, please click here.