CMS: No change in end to COVID-19 waivers

Legislation that will seek to end the COVID-19 National Emergency (H.J.Res.7) will have no impact on the timeline for ending CMS waivers related to the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, according to a statement from CMS.

 

“To be clear, the PHE for COVID-19 declared under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, is not the same as the COVID-19 National Emergency declared by the Trump Administration in 2020 and implicated by H.J.Res.7,” CMS noted. “Therefore, an end to the COVID-19 National Emergency does not impact current operations at HHS, and does not impact the planned May 11 expiration of the federal PHE for COVID-19 or any associated unwinding plans. Even if the COVID-19 National Emergency were to end, any existing waivers currently in effect and authorized under the 1135 waiver authorization for the pandemic, would remain in place until the end of the federal PHE for COVID-19.”