On March 18th, the President signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

(FFCRA) to help states address higher healthcare costs and the increased caseload expected as a

result of COVID-19.

The FFCRA provides a temporary 6.2 percentage point increase to the state’s Federal Medical

Assistance Percentage (FMAP), the share of states’ Medicaid benefit costs paid by the federal

government, in order to provide financial relief. While we are wholly unable to predict the full

and long-term impacts of this pandemic on our state budget, this FMAP increase will go a long

way to help cover healthcare costs associated with COVID-19 without having to divert significant

portions of GR funds from other parts of the budget to do so.

This temporary FMAP increase applies retroactively for a term beginning January 1st, 2020 and

lasting through the last day of the calendar quarter in which the HHS Secretary declares the

emergency to be over. Funds for the first quarter were made available to the state earlier this

week. As a result of the 6.2 percentage point increase to the state’s regular FMAP, the federal

share is brought to 67.09%.

The eFMAP rates, which are used in the CHIP and Medicaid program for medical expenditures provided

for certain children, will be recalculated based on the increase, and the enhanced match will

apply to both Medicaid and CHIP. The guidance does not address Title IV-E (DFPS) programs.

For more information on changes to FMAP and how it affects the SHARS Medicaid reimbursement program,

contact an Onward Medicaid specialist at support@onwardlearning.com or by phone at toll free 1-844-843-1596 for assistance.