State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit: Policy Considerations for States Expanding Use of Telehealth

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is working hard to make sure we help our beneficiaries and the people who are working on the front lines to care for patients during this
pandemic. We have taken numerous steps to respond to the pandemic, and have issued new rules and a sweeping array of waivers of federal requirements to ensure that local hospitals and health systems have the capacity to absorb and effectively manage potential surges of COVID-19 patients. In addition, CMS has issued guidance on nursing home health and safety standards, essential surgeries and procedures, as well as preservation of personal protective equipment, beds, and ventilators. We also issued guidance and provided waivers or flexibilities to states and health care providers to ensure that they can focus on delivering the necessary items and services during this pandemic. You can find more information about our ongoing efforts on CMS’s Current Emergencies website, which is linked to the CMS.gov home page.1