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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions are used to provide additional information and/or statutory guidance not found in State Medicaid Director Letters, State Health Official Letters, or CMCS Informational Bulletins. The different sets of FAQs as originally released can be accessed below.

Showing 31 to 40 of 46 results

What is the link to the Enterprise Portal?

The Enterprise Portal can be accessed at https://portal.cms.gov . Please note: EIDM is the same as the CMS Enterprise Portal.

FAQ ID:92811

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What is the difference between EIDM and MACPro?

Enterprise Identity Management (EIDM) is an identity management and services system that provides users with access to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) applications. EIDM is located at https://portal.cms.gov/.

The Medicaid and CHIP Program (MACPro) system is a web-based tool for the submission, review, disposition, and management support of Medicaid and CHIP initiatives, including Quality Measures Reporting, State Plan Amendments (SPA), Waivers, Demonstrations, and Advance Planning Documents. MACPro is located at https://macpro.cms.gov.

FAQ ID:92816

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What should I do if I am experiencing connectivity issues, freezing, or slowness within MACPro?

Please provide the following information to the Help Desk:

  • Who is your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and IP address?
  • What is your location?
  • What component were you using (Quality Measures, Health Homes SPA, etc.)?
  • What is the exact time the problem occurred?
  • What exactly happened?
  • What screen were you on?
  • If an error message displayed, please provide a screenshot.
  • Did the problem resolve itself? Was a page refresh or application reboot required?

FAQ ID:92821

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What does a CMS EIDM Approver need to do if the user requesting access to MACPro is not on a list of users who should have access?

The CMS EIDM Approver would need to contact the Business Owner Point of Contact (POC) for the Medicaid and CHIP Programs that are in MACPro to request verification of the user requesting access. The Business Owner POC may need to get in touch with the relevant Medicaid/CHIP State Agency directly to verify that the user requesting access is valid.

FAQ ID:92826

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How do I change my password? / How do I reset my password if I forgot it?

As MACPro and the Enterprise Identity Management Portal (EIDM) are integrated, your EIDM credentials are what you use to log into MACPro. To reset your password for MACPro, go to the link https://portal.cms.gov  and click the blue link that says "Forgot Password" under the blue log in button on the right side of the screen. You must answer your challenge questions to be able to reset your password. If you are not sure of your challenge questions, please contact the MACPro Help Desk at macpro_helpdesk@cms.hhs.gov.

FAQ ID:92831

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What are the Implementation Guides for?

Implementation guides are documents that provide specific information on how to complete and review a specific section of MACPro as a State or CMS User.

FAQ ID:92836

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I received an unexpected error message, what should I do?

Take a screenshot (Ctrl+PrtScn [PC]) of the message you see and send an email to the MACPro Help Desk atMACPro_HelpDesk@cms.hhs.gov. (MACPro underscore Help Desk). Two ways to avoid unexpected error messages are:

  1. Never use the browser back and forth arrows to navigate through MACPro; and
  2. Do not remain inactive on MACPro for more than sixty minutes.
  3. Always log out when exiting MACPro or EIDM.
  4. If you are clicking a bookmarked link to access either MACPro or EIDM, try manually typing the link or copying and pasting the link.
  5. Try refreshing your screen or clearing your cache. You can clear your cache in your browser's Options. (If you need guidance on clearing your cache, please contact the MACPro Help Desk at MACPro_HelpDesk@cms.hhs.gov.)

FAQ ID:92841

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Under the CMS guidance for funding health information exchange (HIE) activities, what kinds of activities are eligible for 90 percent Federal matching funds (90/10) through HITECH administrative funding?

Within the parameters set by State Medicaid Director (SMD) Letter #11-004 and SMD Letter #10-016, states may request 90/10 HITECH administrative funding for a wide range of HIE activities that support meaningful use.

States may request this funding for two broad categories of their administrative activities related to HIEs: (1) on-boarding, and (2) design, development, and implementation (DDI) of infrastructure. In this context, on-boarding refers to the state's or HIE's activities related to connecting a provider to an HIE so that the provider is able to successfully exchange data and use the HIE's services; this funding cannot cover costs incurred by the provider or the vendor. For more information, please see the later FAQ that specifically discusses on-boarding. With respect to infrastructure DDI, CMS is able to provide matching funds for a variety of state activities that will enable providers who are eligible for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program to meet meaningful use. If the requirements of SMD Letters #10-016 and #11-004 are met, CMS will provide funding for state administrative activities related to core HIE services (for example, designing and developing a provider directory, privacy and security applications, and/or data warehouses), public health infrastructure, and electronic Clinical Quality Measurement (eCQM) infrastructure.

CMS recognizes that there are multiple types of HIE models emerging among the states, and will review each proposal individually. SMD Letter #11-004 outlines some of the characteristics that CMS encourages, but a state may provide justification for why an alternate model is more appropriate given the unique circumstances in that state. CMS encourages interested states to reach out to their CMS regional HITECH contacts to discuss any proposed HIE funding requests prior to submitting an Implementation Advance Planning Document Update (IAPD-U) for HIE funding. Please note that cost allocation and fair share principles are critical requirements outlined in SMD Letter #11-004, and so the state must ensure that its funding request complies with the principles outlined in the SMD letter.

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FAQ ID:92526

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Under the CMS guidance for funding health information exchange (HIE) activities, is 90/10 HITECH administrative funding available for staffing costs?

Yes, but only in specific circumstances. States may request time-limited HITECH funding for staffing costs related to on-boarding eligible Medicaid providers to the HIE or to building initial infrastructure. The staff may sit in the state Medicaid agency or the HIE itself, depending on the state's situation. Any staffing costs for on-boarding or infrastructure must be time-limited to ensure that the costs do not become operational in nature. When requesting HITECH funds to cover staffing costs, states should present a justification that describes how many eligible providers are anticipated to on-board to the HIE and the amount of staffing time necessary to on-board those providers or build infrastructure.

Please note that HITECH administrative funding will also be available for personnel that sit within the Medicaid agency itself and support only Medicaid providers. However, the fair share and cost allocation principles outlined in the State Medicaid Director (SMD) Letter #11-004 still apply. If those personnel work on other State Medicaid program activities that do not benefit the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, then HITECH funds must be cost allocated between the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and the Medicaid agency personnel's other activities.

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FAQ ID:92531

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What process should states follow to request funding for health information exchange (HIE) infrastructure under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program?

State Medicaid Director (SMD) Letter #11-004 and SMD Letter #10-016 indicate that states may request 90/10 HITECH administrative funding for HIE infrastructure under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. To request this funding, states must submit an Implementation Advance Planning Document Update (IAPD-U) using the approved template, which can be found at http://www.cms.gov/Regulationsand-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/Downloads/Medicaid_HIT_IAPD_Template.pdf. In particular, the IAPD-U template Appendix D outlines all the information required for an HIE funding request. The HIE funding request may be submitted in a separate IAPD-U, or it may be included in an IAPD-U that requests other funding for the state's Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.

CMS asks that states reach out early to their regional CMS HITECH contacts if they are considering submitting an IAPD-U for HIE funding. Given the complexity of an HIE request, along with the parameters set out in SMD Letter #11-004, CMS prefers to have one or more preliminary discussions to go over the state's current IAPD landscape, the state's technical model, and the state's approach to meeting the fair share and cost allocation principles.

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FAQ ID:92536

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