Every state must draw up a two-year strategy for revalidating its Medicaid providers, starting with those considered high risk, with home and community-based services and personal care in focus. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz made the request to state Medicaid directors on April 23, 2026, McKnight's Home Care reported the same day.
What the letter asks states to do
The letter asks states to revalidate providers in the high-risk category more often than the five-year minimum and to prioritize high-risk providers who have not been screened in the past 12 months. All plans must explain how states handle providers without National Provider Identifier numbers. States were given 10 days to tell CMS about plans to revalidate high-risk providers and 30 days to submit full strategies. The letter acknowledged that most Medicaid providers are honest. It came as CMS stepped up fraud enforcement focused on HCBS in states including Minnesota, New York and California. Damon Terzaghi of the National Alliance for Care at Home said personal care and related home care services would be front and center, adding that many states have fallen behind on revalidations.
Why this matters for providers and DSPs
HCBS agencies should expect revalidation requests, site visits or data checks sooner than usual. Keeping enrollment records, ownership information and staff credentials current can prevent payment disruptions.