Murkowski Welcomes Lifting of Moratorium on Medicaid Applications for CMS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today welcomed the decision by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to lift the moratorium on Medicaid applications for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) program in Alaska.
On June 29, Sen. Murkowski called and urged HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to address the moratorium swiftly. At the time, there was a 2,000 case patient evaluation backlog that was deemed unlikely to be solved by September 1, 2009, when the state must submit a plan of action for re-evaluation by CMS.
“In a month since our conversation, I am pleased to see that the state and federal government were able to work together and make the lifting of this moratorium a matter for immediate attention” said Murkowski. “Through their cooperative efforts, the lifting of this moratorium will ensure that Alaskans seeking these services will continue to be served in a timely manner.”
Sen. Murkowski will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that no future moratoriums occur resulting in delays for Alaskans seeking to remain in their homes versus enrolling in facility care.
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