Update on Hurricane Helene Waivers and Flexibilities

Due to Hurricane Helene, North Carolina issued several waivers.  All of these came to an end on February 28.   

These waivers included a PASRR waiver, and a waiver that allowed adult care home level of care residents to be placed into nursing beds.  

Click here for more information on Medicaid flexibilities. 

Additionally, CMS issued a Three-Day Prior Hospitalization waiver. Using the authority under Section 1812(f) of the Act, CMS may cover SNF stays without a three-day prior inpatient hospitalization.  In addition, for certain beneficiaries who recently exhausted their SNF benefits, it authorizes a one-time renewal of SNF coverage without first having to start a new benefit period (this portion of the waiver will apply only for those beneficiaries who have been delayed or prevented by the emergency itself from commencing or completing the process of ending their current benefit period and renewing their SNF benefits that would have occurred under normal circumstances). No end date for these waivers has been announced yet.   

Click here for more information on current emergency waivers.