Federal Register #2026-11094

Medicaid Community Engagement Rule Implementation (CMS/HHS)

CMS, part of HHS, is implementing a new rule to enforce community engagement requirements for certain Medicaid applicants and beneficiaries. - Government Buyer: - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - No OEMs or vendors are specified in this notice - Products/Services Requested: - No direct procurement of products or services; the notice is a rule implementation - Key Requirements: - States must ensure eligible Medicaid applicants and beneficiaries demonstrate community engagement (e.g., work or community service) - Rule details qualifying activities, exceptions, verification processes, outreach, noncompliance procedures, and operational considerations - New state reporting requirements are established - Managed care plans and contractors have defined roles and conflict-of-interest safeguards - Place of Performance: - CMS federal offices in Baltimore, MD - Notable: No procurement action or solicitation for products/services is included in this notice

Description

This interim final rule with comment period interprets and implements the community engagement requirement in Medicaid under section 1902(xx) of the Social Security Act. States are required to implement the new requirement no later than January 1, 2027. The rule specifies requirements for Medicaid applicants and beneficiaries, qualifying activities, exceptions, verification, outreach, noncompliance steps, operational considerations, timing, and reporting requirements. It also addresses the roles of managed care plans and establishes safeguards against conflicts of interest.

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