Medicaid Empowerment Act of 2025
Current understanding
The Medicaid Empowerment Act of 2025 is an introduced bill that would extend the renewal period for state Section 1915© home- and community-based services (HCBS) waivers from 5 years to 10 years. Section 1915© waivers are the primary Medicaid authority states use to fund long-term services and supports in community settings for people who would otherwise require institutional care. The change is administrative in nature: it would reduce the frequency of CMS renewal reviews without altering waiver eligibility, benefits, or financing.
Evidence log
- 2025-04-29 — Medicaid Empowerment Act of 2025: cross-connection with hcbs-access-act: Both proposals target Medicaid Section 1915© HCBS waiver administration and access, one via longer renewal cycles and the other via broader access reforms. (novelty: 2)