This page aggregates tracking information on approved Medicaid emergency authorities to address the COVID-19 Coronavirus emergency. We currently include details on Section 1135 waivers and 1915 (c) Waiver Appendix K strategies, but will update soon to add additional emergency authorities.
Visit our State Data and Policy Actions COVID-19 Tracker for additional data on state responses to COVID-19, and our special coronavirus topic page for all our resources.
Approved Medicaid Emergency Authorities
Section 1135 waivers: If the President has declared an emergency or disaster and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) has declared a public health emergency, the Secretary can use Section 1135 authority to waive or modify certain Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP requirements to ensure that sufficient health care items and services are available to meet the needs of Medicaid enrollees in affected areas. On March 13, 2020, President Trump issued a proclamation that the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States constitutes a national emergency, beginning March 1, 2020. After this declaration, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued blanket Section 1135 waivers for many Medicare provisions. Additionally, states are able to submit to CMS for approval Section 1135 waivers for Medicaid provisions. These approved state waivers are summarized in the table below.
Approved Section 1135 Waivers to Address COVID-19
Section 1915 (c) Waiver Appendix K Strategies: Most Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) are provided through Section 1915 (c) waivers. States can use Section 1915 (c) waiver Appendix K to amend these waivers to respond to an emergency. For example, states can modify or expand HCBS eligibility or services, modify or suspend service planning and delivery requirements, and adopt policies to support providers. CMS has posted a sample Appendix K template for COVID-19 for COVID-19 waiver amendment requests.
Approved Section 1915 (c) Waiver Appendix K Strategies to Address COVID-19
Medicaid Emergency Authority Tracker: Approved State Actions to Address COVID-19