(b) Definitions. For purposes of this subpart—

COVID-19 means Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Medicare Savings Program means the coverage of Medicare premiums and cost sharing furnished to individuals described in, and determined by the state to be eligible under, section 1902(a)(10)(E)(i), 1902(a)(10)(E)(iii), or 1902(a)(10)(E)(iv) of the Act.

Minimum essential coverage (MEC) has the meaning provided under section 5000A(f)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code and implementing regulations at 26 CFR 1.5000A-2 and includes minimum essential coverage determined by the Secretary under 26 CFR 1.5000A-2(f).

Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 has the same definition provided in § 400.200 of this chapter.

Temporary FMAP increase means the 6.2 percentage point increase in the State's Federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) that is authorized under section 6008(a) of the FFCRA through the end of the fiscal quarter in which the Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 ends.

Validly enrolled means that the beneficiary was enrolled in Medicaid based on a determination of eligibility. A beneficiary is not validly enrolled if the agency determines the eligibility was erroneously granted at the most recent determination, redetermination, or renewal of eligibility (if such last redetermination or renewal was completed prior to March 18, 2020) because of agency error or fraud (as evidenced by a fraud conviction) or abuse (as determined following the completion of an investigation pursuant to §§ 455.15 and 455.16 of this chapter) attributed to the beneficiary or the beneficiary's representative, which was material to the determination of eligibility. Individuals receiving medical assistance during a presumptive eligibility period in accordance with part 435, subpart L, of this chapter have not received a determination of eligibility by the state under the state plan and are not considered validly enrolled beneficiaries for purposes of this section.

(c) General requirements.

1. (1) In order to claim the temporary FMAP increase for:

   1. (i) The quarter in which November 2, 2020, falls, a state must meet the requirements described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section from November 2, 2020, through the end of the quarter.
   2. (ii) Any quarter beginning after November 2, 2020, through the quarter in which the public health emergency for COVID-19, including any extensions, ends, a state must meet the requirements described in paragraphs (c)(2) of this section.

2. (2) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, for all beneficiaries validly enrolled for benefits under the state plan, a waiver of such plan, or a demonstration project under section 1115(a) of the Act as of or after March 18, 2020, the state must maintain the beneficiary's enrollment as follows, through the end of the month in which the public health emergency for COVID-19 ends:

   1. (i)

      1. (A) For beneficiaries whose Medicaid coverage meets the definition of MEC in paragraph (b) of this section as of or after March 18, 2020, the state must continue to provide Medicaid coverage that meets the definition of MEC, except as provided in paragraph (c)(2)(i)(B) of this section.
      2. (B) For beneficiaries described in paragraph (c)(2)(i)(A) whom the state subsequently determines are eligible for coverage under a Medicare Savings Program eligibility group, the state satisfies the requirement described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section if it furnishes the medical assistance available through the Medicare Savings Program.
   2. (ii) For beneficiaries whose Medicaid coverage as of or after March 18, 2020 does not meet the definition of MEC in paragraph (b) of this section but does include coverage for testing services and treatments for COVID-19, including vaccines, specialized equipment, and therapies, the state must continue to provide Medicaid coverage that includes such testing services and treatments.
   3. (iii) For beneficiaries not described in paragraph (c)(2)(i) or (ii) of this section, the state must continue to provide at least the same level of medical assistance as was provided as of or after March 18, 2020.
   4. (iv) If a state determines that a validly enrolled beneficiary is no longer eligible for Medicaid, including on a procedural basis, the state meets the requirements described in paragraph (c)(2)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this section by continuing to provide the same Medicaid coverage that the beneficiary would have received absent the determination of ineligibility.
3. (3) Otherwise permissible changes to beneficiary coverage, cost sharing, and post-eligibility treatment of income, including both changes affecting an individual beneficiary and approved changes to the state plan, a section 1115 demonstration and/or a waiver authorized under section 1915 of the Act impacting multiple beneficiaries, will not impact a state's ability to claim the temporary FMAP increase provided that any such changes do not violate the requirement to maintain beneficiary enrollment described at paragraph (c)(2) of this section or the requirement in section 6008(b)(4) of the FFCRA.

(d) Exceptions.

1. (1) Consistent with the condition to claim the temporary FMAP increase described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, a state may terminate a beneficiary's Medicaid enrollment prior to the first day of the month after the public health emergency for COVID-19 ends in the following circumstances:

   1. (i) The beneficiary or the beneficiary's representative requests a voluntary termination of eligibility;
   2. (ii) The beneficiary ceases to be a resident of the state; or
   3. (iii) The beneficiary dies.
2. (2) States which have elected the option under section 1903(v)(4) of the Act to provide full benefits to lawfully residing children or pregnant women must limit coverage for such beneficiaries if they no longer meet the definition of a lawfully residing child or pregnant woman under such section to services necessary for treatment of an emergency medical condition, as defined in section 1903(v)(3) of the Act.

3. (3)

   1. (i) For purposes of paragraph (d)(1)(i) of this section, a beneficiary may request a voluntary termination of eligibility from the Medicaid coverage in which the beneficiary is enrolled to transition to other Medicaid coverage for which the beneficiary is eligible, even if the transition to the new Medicaid coverage would not be consistent with paragraph (c)(2) of this section.
   2. (ii) For purposes of paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this section, beneficiaries who were identified through a data match with the Public Assistance Reporting Information System in accordance with § 435.945(d) of this chapter indicating simultaneous enrollment in two or more states, and who fail to respond to a request for information to verify their residency, may be treated as not being a state resident for purposes of paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this section, provided that the state takes all reasonably available measures to attempt to verify the beneficiary's state residency. If a beneficiary's enrollment is terminated under the exception at paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this section based on a PARIS data match and the state subsequently obtains information verifying residency, the state must reinstate the beneficiary's Medicaid enrollment retroactive to the date of termination.