CMS Nurse Aide Training Competency and Evaluation Waivers (SNF)
Earlier this summer, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an update to QSO-22-15-NH & NLTC & LSC: Update to COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Specific Providers. This update provides more information related to waivers of the Nurse Aide Training Competency and Evaluation Program (NATCEP) requirements.
CMS has created a formalized process to submit a request for a time-limited waiver via two options:
- Individual Facility Waiver: When there are localized barriers to training/testing in a state or county not otherwise covered by a waiver, facilities may request a waiver by providing documentation of the barriers. The documentation must include information demonstrating that the aide(s) have attempted to become certified (e.g., enrollment in training or testing), but the NATCEP entity cannot accommodate the applicant(s) at this time.
- Statewide or County Waiver: When there are widespread barriers to training/testing that are statewide or in a particular county within a state, the state agency may submit a request for the waiver for the affected jurisdiction. The state agency must provide documentation of the status of their NATCEP program and a plan for remedying the situation.
HCAM has formally requested a state-wide Waiver Request be submitted for the State of Michigan, however, facilities who are facing barriers to training and/or testing are advised to submit individual facility waiver requests through this CMS portal.
CMS indicated a state or facility cannot attain or retain a waiver longer than the declaration of a public health emergency (PHE), and it will grant these waivers for a timeframe that is as short as possible, only while the declaration of a COVID-19 PHE is still in effect. If the PHE ends during or before the granted period of waiver for a facility or a state or a county, the waiver also ends.