By Martha Heberlein

On August 10th, President Obama signed an extension of the state fiscal relief first authorized under ARRA. Under the extension, states will continue to receive a phased-out increase in their federal Medicaid matching rate through June of 2011, as opposed to it expiring at the end of this year.

CMS released guidance on the FMAP extension, clarifying that all the maintenance of effort requirements that applied to states under ARRA continue under the extension.

There was one change, however, to the manner in which states request and receive funds. Under the extension, as a condition of receiving the additional federal Medicaid funds, the Governor must submit a request within 45 days of enactment, or by September 24, 2010.