A new federal regulation requires states to monitor access to Medicaid services.

According to a new regulation issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), states must submit to CMS plans for monitoring Medicaid beneficiary access to care in five service areas: primary care, physician specialists, behavioral care; pre- and post-natal care; and home health services.

State monitoring plans must address the extent to which Medicaid is meeting beneficiaries’ needs; the availability of care; changes in service utilization; and comparisons between Medicaid rates and rates paid by other public and private payers.

Interested parties have 60 days to submit comments to CMS about the new regulation.

For a closer look at the regulation, see this CMS fact sheet and the regulation itself here, in the Federal Register.