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Last week, the Health Care Authority (HCA) and Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) requested an amendment to Washington State’s Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver. We call this waiver the Medicaid Transformation Project (MTP), which is an agreement between our state and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
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If approved by CMS, this amendment will provide:
- Medicaid (Apple Health) coverage for former foster care youth—also known as Alumni coverage in Washington—from other states who turn (or turned) 18 prior to January 1, 2023.
- Continuous enrollment for Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage for CHIP children during the first six years of their lives. (CHIP is a program under Apple Health.)
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Note: CMS recently approved continuous Apple Health enrollment for children, ages zero though five, under our state’s MTP renewal.
Read the full amendment request.
When people have access to continuous health care coverage, they are more likely to have improved short- and long-term health outcomes and a better quality of life. This is especially true for vulnerable individuals like young children and former foster care youth transitioning into adulthood. Breaks in coverage or inconsistent coverage could lead to unmet health care needs and delays in diagnoses, preventive services, and treatment.
This amendment, if approved—which will apply to the current MTP 2.0 period—will give young children and former foster care youth the opportunity to live their healthiest lives.
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MTP allows Washington State to create and continue to develop projects, activities, and services that improve our state’s health care system. The initial MTP waiver period ended on June 30, 2023. On that same day, CMS approved MTP to continue for an additional five years, beginning July 1, 2023. We call the MTP renewal “MTP 2.0.”
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