The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) invites states, providers, health plans, participants and family members, self-advocates, direct service professionals, advocacy and disability organizations, Tribal and rural partners, and all other interested stakeholders to participate in a national virtual listening session on Section 1915(c)(11). Section 1915(c)(11) was created under Section 71121 of Public Law 119 21, known as the Working Families Tax Cut (WFTC) legislation. Effective July 2028, this new authority provides states with another option for providing home and community based services (HCBS) in Medicaid. Learn more here: https://www.medicaid.gov/resources-for-states/working-families-tax-cut-legislation.
CMS is interested in gathering actionable input on how Section 1915(c)(11) can best support states, strengthen HCBS, improve participant experience, enhance program integrity, and advance integration and quality across Medicaid programs. CMS seeks to hear directly from stakeholders about opportunities, challenges, implementation considerations, and lived experiences to inform future guidance, tools/resources, and training. You may provide comments on the new WFTC HCBS waiver authority in multiple ways. Everyone is welcome to attend the public listening session, whether or not you plan to provide comments. To attend the session please register using the registration link below. To request a slot to provide oral/spoken comment during the listening session, during the registration process select one of the options that indicate “I want to provide oral/spoken comment to CMS during the public listening session”. If you do not register to speak in advance, you may be able to provide comments as time permits. You are also welcome to submit written comments to CMS at MedicaidReforms@cms.hhs.gov and indicate “Comments on 1915(c)(11) Waiver Option” in the subject line.
CMS and project partners will be in attendance to listen to stakeholder feedback. This session is for listening only; beyond making brief introductory comments, CMS staff will not engage in discussion or respond to comments.
Participants are invited to share their experiences, perspectives, and recommendations related to Section 1915(c)(11), including:
- Opportunities to improve access to HCBS through the new 1915(c)(11) waiver option.
- Ideas for using 1915(c)(11) to improve cost efficiency, such as reducing unnecessary institutional utilization.
- Implementation barriers states or providers may face when adopting 1915(c)(11). Closed captioning and ASL will be available.
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9fmonNCiS9iJJNi32vGvgQ
