The Urgent Need to Better Support Home- and Community-Based Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Call to Action for State Advocates

Under the newly enacted American Rescue Plan, states can receive increased Medicaid funding from the federal government from April 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022, to “enhance, expand, or strengthen” home- and community-based services (HCBS). Specifically, states can claim a 10% increase in federal Medicaid matching funds for such enhancements. We provide five recommendations of enhancements for advocates to pursue with their states.