ANCOR Advocates for Retainer Payment Flexibility

American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), on behalf of the members of several State Association Executives, sent a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma urging CMS to modify the reserve bed hold days limit and the related opportunity to extend this limit up to three times.

Due to the scope of this crisis, many states requested and received the authority to implement this emergency provision of 30 consecutive days for up to three consecutive periods. At this time, the allowable renewal periods have been exhausted and providers are facing a dramatic impact on funding available to cover fixed costs, hazard or enhanced pay for staff, and atypical pandemic related expenses. This will impact people’s access to community-based services for some time to come as the remaining providers do not have an enhanced capacity to absorb the resulting caseload.

In consideration of the ongoing crisis and as an increasing number of states are facing serious spikes in virus positivity, hospitalizations, and mortality rates, ANCOR asks that CMS employ its regulatory authority to waive the limit of three consecutive bed hold days periods for retainer payments for the duration of the Public Health Emergency.