Medicaid Recession-Related FMAP Increases
Released: 2020-05-07T00:00:00

M edicaid is a means-tested entitlement program that finances the delivery of primary and acute medical services, as well as long-term services and supports. Historically, Medicaid eligibility generally has been limited to low-income children, pregnant women, parents of dependent children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities. Since 2014, however, states have had the option to cover nonelderly adults with income up to 133% of the federal poverty level (FPL) under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA; P.L. 111-148 , as amended) Medicaid expansion.

Medicaid is jointly financed by the federal government and the states. The federal government's share of most Medicaid expenditures is called the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP). The remainder is referred to as the state share.

Medicaid is a countercyclical program, meaning the rate of growth for Medicaid enrollment tends to accelerate when the economy weakens and tends to slow when the economy gains strength. During recessions, the rate of growth for Medicaid enrollment increases, which also increases the rate of growth for Medicaid expenditures at the same time that state revenues are decreasing.

The federal government provided states with fiscal relief through temporary FMAP rate increases in response to the 2001 recession (March 2001 through November 2001) and the Great Recession (December 2007 through June 2009). The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA; P.L. 116-127 ), enacted on March 18, 2020, recently added a temporary Medicaid FMAP increase, beginning January 1, 2020, and continuing through the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency period.

This report begins with an overview of the FMAP rate. Then, it discusses the recession-related impact on the Medicaid program based on the experiences of the 2001 recession and the Great Recession. The final section of this report describes the three recession-related FMAP increases and compares them according to their various aspects, such as time periods for the FMAP increases, the amounts of the increases, and the requirements for states to receive the increases.

The FMAP Rate

The FMAP rate generally is determined annually and varies by state according to each state's per capita income relative to the U.S. per capita income. The formula provides higher FMAP rates, or federal reimbursement rates, to states with lower per capita incomes, and it provides lower FMAP rates to states with higher per capita incomes.

FMAP rates have a statutory minimum of 50% and a statutory maximum of 83%. For a state with an FMAP of 60%, the state gets 60 cents back from the federal government for every dollar the state spends on its Medicaid program. In FY2020, FMAP rates range from 50.00% (13 states) to 76.98% (Mississippi).

The FMAP formula relies on each state's per capita personal income in relation to the U.S. average per capita personal income. The national economy is basically the sum of all state economies. As a result, the national response to an economic change is the sum of the state responses to economic change. If more states (or larger states) were to experience an economic decline, the national economy would reflect this decline to some extent. However, the extent of the total decline would be offset by states with small decreases or even increases (i.e., states with growing economies). The U.S. per capita personal income, because of this balancing of positive and negative, usually has only a small percentage change each year. Because the FMAP formula compares state changes in per capita personal income (which can have large changes each year) with changes in the U.S. per capita personal income, states' FMAP rates often change from year to year. For most of the states experiencing annual FMAP rate changes, the change has been be less than one percentage pointâbut that can translate to a significant dollar amount.

The FMAP rate is used to reimburse states for the federal share of most Medicaid expenditures, but exceptions to the regular FMAP rate have been made for certain states (e.g., the District of Columbia and the territories), situations (e.g., during economic downturns), populations (e.g., ACA Medicaid expansion population and certain women with breast or cervical cancer), providers (e.g., Indian Health Service facilities), and services (e.g., family planning and home health services).

The FMAP is also used to determine the federal share of other federal programs. For instance, it is used to determine the federal share of spending for foster care maintenance, adoption assistance, and guardianship assistance payments authorized by Title IV-E of the Social Security Act. The FMAP rate is also used to determine the relative federal and state shares of the "mandatory matching funds" provided by the Child Care Entitlement to States. In addition, it determines the federal share of funding under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Contingency Funds and the federal share of collections under the Child Support Enforcement program.

Separate from the regular FMAP rate, the enhanced FMAP (E-FMAP) rate is provided for services and administration under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), subject to the availability of funds from a state's federal allotment for CHIP. The E-FMAP rate is calculated by reducing the state share under the regular FMAP rate by 30%.

Medicaid and Recessions

Medicaid expenditures are influenced by a number of economic, demographic, and programmatic factors. Economic factors include health care prices, unemployment rates, and individuals' wages. Demographic factors include population growth and the age distribution. Programmatic factors include changes to eligibility and benefits or other program changes. Other factors include the number of eligible individuals who enroll and their utilization of covered services.

Medicaid is a countercyclical program. During recessions, growth in the unemployment rate results in an increase in the rate of growth for Medicaid enrollment, which increases the rate of growth for Medicaid expenditures at the same time that state revenues decline. Reduced state revenues can make it difficult for states to continue financing their Medicaid programs, especially with the recession-related growth in Medicaid enrollment. The effect of recessions on Medicaid enrollment, Medicaid expenditures, and state tax revenues are generally not isolated to the recession period and can continue after the recession has officially ended.

Growth in Medicaid Enrollment

Individuals and their dependents may become eligible for Medicaid because they experience reductions in their incomes due to reduced hours or job loss. During economic downturns, the number of individuals with reduced hours or job losses increases, and the rate of job losses are considerably higher among low-income workers. This increases the number of individuals eligible for Medicaid.

Individuals and their dependents also may lose access to employer-sponsored health insurance. When individuals have reduced hours or experience job loss, they may lose the health insurance coverage they had through their employer for themselves and their dependents. These individuals may be eligible for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) continuation coverage, which provides temporary access to a former employer's health insurance. However, employers are not required to pay for the cost of COBRA coverage, which may be more expensive than an individual's prior cost of insurance.

Some individuals, or their dependents, might already be Medicaid eligible and have employer-sponsored health insurance. During economic downturns, employers may lower the amount they contribute to the cost of health benefits or decide to no longer provide health insurance coverage to these employees. This increase in the cost of or loss of employer-sponsored health insurance may result in these individuals enrolling for Medicaid coverage.

As discussed below, there is a relationship between the unemployment rate and Medicaid enrollment. The ACA Medicaid expansion, which was implemented after the last recession, is expected to increase the effects of a recession on Medicaid enrollment.

Medicaid Enrollment Growth During Recent Recessions

Medicaid enrollment follows economic cycles, with enrollment growth increasing at a faster rate during economic downturns and Medicaid enrollment growth increasing at a slower rate when economic conditions improve.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzed federal Medicaid enrollment data during the 2001 recession and the Great Recession. GAO found that during the 2001 recession, the national unemployment rate increased from 4.3% to 5.5%, and total Medicaid enrollment increased by approximately 2 million (or 5.6%). GAO also found that during the Great Recession, the national unemployment rate grew from 5.0% to 9.5%, and Medicaid enrollment rose by nearly 4.3 million (or 9.7%).

Potential Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Enrollment Growth

The ACA Medicaid expansion that went into effect in 2014 is expected to increase the effects of a recession on Medicaid enrollment. As there has not been a recession since states have had the option to implement the Medicaid expansion, there is no experience available to quantify the impact.

During the Great Recession, Medicaid eligibility in most states was not available to many of the individuals who lost their jobs. This is because nonelderly adults without dependent children were not eligible for Medicaid. Prior to the Medicaid expansion, Medicaid eligibility for nonelderly adults, in most states, was limited to individuals with disabilities, pregnant women, and parents of poor children. Also, states' Medicaid income eligibility thresholds for parents were significantly lower than the income eligibility level for the Medicaid expansion of up to 133% of FPL.

As a result of the Medicaid expansion, the percentage of adults eligible for Medicaid during future periods of high unemployment is expected to be larger than in the past. An increase in the rate of enrollment growth for the Medicaid expansion in response to an increase in the unemployment rate would have less of an impact on state budgets than an increase in the rate of enrollment growth for the traditional Medicaid populations because the federal matching rate for the Medicaid expansion is 90%, which is higher than the regular FMAP rate. Although the state share of the Medicaid expansion is 10% of the expenditures, the increase in the enrollment for the Medicaid expansion during economic downturns could contribute to states' budget pressures.

Medicaid Expenditures and State Revenues

Increases in Medicaid enrollment growth during economic downturns generally result in an increased rate of growth for total Medicaid expenditures. As with Medicaid enrollment, when the economic conditions improve, Medicaid expenditure growth tends to slow.

At the same time that unemployment rate increases during economic downturns cause Medicaid enrollment and expenditures to increase at a faster rate, states general revenues are negatively affected. During the 2001 recession, states experienced a 4.2% decline in state tax revenue from state FY2001 to state FY2002.

In the study described in the " Medicaid Enrollment Growth During Recent Recessions " section, GAO also looked at the impact of the Great Recession on total state tax revenues. Nationally, GAO found that the Great Recession led to a 10.2% decline in state tax revenues from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the fourth quarter of 2009. The impact of the Great Recession on state tax revenue varied significantly from state to state. Although state tax revenue for most states (44 states and the District of Columbia) decreased, these revenue decreases ranged from 1% in Iowa to 23% in Arizona.

Medicaid accounts for almost 20% of state general fund expenditures, and it is the second largest category of general fund expenditures for states. The reduction in state tax revenue during economic downturns can make it difficult for states to finance the state share of Medicaid, especially while Medicaid enrollment and expenditures are increasing. Since most states are required to balance their budgets, the reduced state tax revenues and increased Medicaid expenditures, among other budget pressures, may lead states to increase taxes, reduce expendituresâincluding for the Medicaid programâor both.

In response to the 2001 recession, 34 states reduced Medicaid expenditures by freezing or reducing provider payments, eliminating coverage for optional services, increasing premiums, and increasing copayments for prescription drugs. As a result of the Great Recession, 31 states froze or reduced Medicaid provider rates or increased Medicaid provider taxes, and other states reduced prescription drug costs and limited or eliminated coverage for optional services, such as mental health or dental care.

After Recessions

The impacts of recessions on Medicaid enrollment, Medicaid expenditures, and state tax revenues have continued even after the recessions have officially ended. For example, the 2001 recession officially ended in November 2001, but state tax revenue continued to decline through the second quarter of 2002, and the national unemployment rate remained above prerecession levels through June 2003. Medicaid enrollment increased at higher than average rates of growth through 2003.

Although the Great Recession officially ended in June 2009, 25 states continued to experience unemployment rates above 9%, until at least December 2010. Some states were still feeling the effects of the recession in 2011 and 2012. The timing and duration of the continued impact of national recessions on states have varied according to the economic conditions and revenue structures of each state, along with the mix of each state's industries and resources.

Recession-Related FMAP Increases

In the past, two laws have provided states with fiscal relief through temporary FMAP rate increases due to recessions: the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (JGTRRA; P.L. 108-27 ) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA; P.L. 111-5 , as amended by P.L. 111-226 ). In addition, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA; P.L. 116-127 ) recently provided a temporary FMAP increase during the COVID-19 public health emergency period.

As noted by GAO, "the FMAP is a readily available mechanism for providing temporary assistance to states because assistance can be distributed quickly, with states obtaining funds on a quarterly basis through Medicaid's existing payment system." The increased FMAP rates help states maintain their Medicaid programs during economic downturns. Also, the increased FMAP rates effectively reduce the state share of Medicaid expenditures for states, allowing states to use the state funding that would have been used for the state share of Medicaidâif there were not a recession-related FMAP rateâfor non-Medicaid state budget needs.

As shown in Table 1 , the recession-related FMAP increases have similar components, but there are differences. All three recession-related FMAP increases had across-the-board increases to the regular FMAP rates as their main component. The JGTRRA across-the-board increase of 2.95 percentage points was lower than the 6.2 percentage point across-the-board increases for ARRA and FFCRA. The ARRA across-the-board increase phased out at the end of the time period for the FMAP increase, but the other two increases do not phase down. In addition, the JGTRRA and ARRA FMAP increases included hold-harmless provisions that kept states' regular FMAP rates from declining, and these increases did not apply to certain Medicaid expenditures that use the regular FMAP rate. The FFCRA FMAP increase, however, does not exclude Medicaid expenditures that use the regular FMAP rate. Also, the ARRA FMAP increase included an unemployment-related additional increase to the FMAP, but the JGTRRA and FFCRA FMAP increases do not. JGTRRA and FFCRA applied the FMAP increases to the territories and provided the territories additional federal Medicaid funding, but ARRA gave the territories a choice of the across-the-board FMAP increase, along with increased funding or a larger increase in funding without an FMAP increase.

All three of the recession-related FMAP increases have requirements for states in order to qualify for the FMAP increase. For example, all three FMAP increases require states to maintain Medicaid eligibility standards that are no more restrictive than those that were in effect on a certain date. All three also prohibit states from increasing the percentage local governments are required to contribute to the state share of Medicaid. The JGTRRA FMAP increase did not have additional requirements for states, but the ARRA and FFCRA FMAP increases include differing sets of additional requirements for states, which are listed in Table 1 .

The following sections provide summaries of the recession-related FMAP rate increases from JGTRRA, ARRA, and FFCRA, as well as the time period for the FMAP increases, the amount of the increases, and the requirements for states to receive them.

JGTRRA FMAP Increase

As part of the state fiscal relief for FY2003 and FY2004 included in JGTRRA, FMAP rates for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories were held harmless and increased in the last two quarters of FY2003 and the first three quarters of FY2004. This provision was statutorily limited to $10 billion. Table A-1 shows JGTRRA FMAP increases for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories.

The FMAP rates were increased by an across-the-board 2.95 percentage points for each state (i.e., the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories). The FMAP increase did not apply to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments and Medicaid payments that were matched using the E-FMAP (e.g., breast and cervical cancer treatment).

The hold-harmless provision kept the FMAP rates from declining during that period. Specifically, for FY2003, if a state's FY2002 FMAP rate was higher than the FY2003 rate (without the 2.95 percentage point increase), then the FY2002 rate was substituted for the FY2003 rate for the last two quarters of FY2003. Similarly in FY2004, if a state's FY2003 FMAP rate was higher than the FY2004 rate (without the 2.95 percentage point increase), then the FY2003 rate was substituted for the FY2004 rate for the first three quarters of FY2004.

To qualify for the JGTRRA FMAP increase, a state could not have had a Medicaid plan with more restrictive eligibility rules than the plan in effect on September 2, 2003. If a state restored program eligibility to the levels in effect on September 2, 2003, then the state would have qualified for the increased FMAP rate for the entire quarter in which eligibility was reinstated.

States also needed to ensure that local governments were not required to contribute a larger percentage of the state's nonfederal Medicaid expenditures than otherwise would have been required on April 1, 2003, for the last two quarters of FY2003 and the first three quarters of FY2004.

In addition to the JGTRRA FMAP increase, JGTRRA increased the federal Medicaid funding available for each of the territories by 5.9%.

The JGTRRA FMAP increase was provided to states in FY2003 and FY2004, well after the recession ended in November 2001. All states received the same FMAP increase, and the increase was not based on need using measures such as unemployment rates or state tax revenues.

States indicated that the JGTRRA FMAP increase prevented states from making additional cuts to the Medicaid program and other portions of state budgets. Specifically, 36 states said the JGTRRA FMAP increase helped to fund increased Medicaid expenditures, and 31 states said the increase allowed states to minimize or postpone Medicaid cuts or freezes.

ARRA FMAP Increase

ARRA provided an FMAP rate increase to states, which was later extended by P.L. 111-226 . The ARRA FMAP rate increase lasted for nine quarters, starting October 2008 and continuing through December 2010, and totaled an estimated $89 billion. This temporary FMAP rate increase was extended by six months as part of P.L. 111-226 âthe extension totaled an estimated $16.1 billion. With the extension, the ARRA FMAP rate increase ran for a total of 11 quarters, from the first quarter of FY2009 through the third quarter of FY2011 (i.e., October 2008 through June 2011), subject to certain requirements. Table B-1 shows the ARRA FMAP increase for the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

For a "recession adjustment period" that began with the first quarter of FY2009 and ran through the third quarter of FY2011 (i.e., October 2008 through June 2011), ARRA held all states harmless from any decline in their regular FMAP rates throughout the period. All states (i.e., the 50 states and the District of Columbia) received an across-the-board increase of 6.2 percentage points to their regular FMAP rates until the last two quarters of the period, at which point the across-the-board percentage point increase phased down to 3.2 and then 1.2 percentage points.

Throughout the period, states with unemployment rates that had increased by certain amounts in a quarter received an additional unemployment-related increase. There were three tiers of this unemployment-related increase. See "ARRA Unemployment-Related FMAP Increase" for details about the unemployment related increase, including how it was calculated.

The ARRA FMAP increase was not available to the territories, but each territory was allowed to make a one-time choice between (1) an FMAP rate increase of 6.2 percentage points along with a 15% increase in its annual capped funding or (2) the regular FMAP rate along with a 30% increase in its capped funding. All territories chose the latter.

The full amount of the temporary ARRA FMAP rate increase applied to most Medicaid expenditures, but not to the following Medicaid expenditures: (1) DSH payments, (2) Medicaid payments that were matched using the E-FMAP (e.g., breast and cervical cancer treatment), and (3) most expenditures for individuals who were eligible for Medicaid because of a state expansion of eligibility implemented after July 1, 2008.

To receive ARRA FMAP rate increases, states were required to do the following: (1) ensure their Medicaid "eligibility standards, methodologies, and procedures" were no more restrictive than those that were in effect on July 1, 2008; (2) comply with requirements for prompt payment of health care providers under Medicaid; (3) not deposit or credit the additional federal funds paid as a result of the increase to any reserve or rainy day fund; (4) ensure that local governments did not pay a larger percentage of the state's nonfederal Medicaid expenditures (or a greater percentage of the nonfederal share of Medicaid DSH payments) than otherwise would have been required on September 30, 2008; and (5) submit a report to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services regarding how the additional federal funds paid as a result of the temporary FMAP increase were expended. P.L. 111-226 added a requirement for the last six months (i.e., January 1, 2011, through June 30, 2011) that states certify that they would request and use the funds.

FMAP rate increases reduced the amount of state funding required to maintain a given level of Medicaid services. For states that contemplated cuts in order to slow the growth of or reduce Medicaid spending (e.g., by eliminating coverage of certain benefits, freezing or reducing provider reimbursement rates, or increasing cost-sharing or premiums for beneficiaries), increased federal funding enabled them to avoid those cuts.

For others, the state savings that resulted from an FMAP rate increase were used for various purposes that were not limited to Medicaid. For example, 36 states reported that they used funds from the ARRA FMAP rate increase to close or reduce their Medicaid budget shortfall, and 44 states used the funds to close or reduce state general fund shortfalls.

In addition to avoiding cuts to Medicaid, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicated in 2009 that providing additional federal aid to states that were facing fiscal pressures would probably stimulate the economy. However, CBO noted that the effects would vary. Federal aid to states with relatively healthy budgets would have provided little stimulus if the aid were used to build up rainy day funds (a prohibited use of the ARRA FMAP rate increase), rather than to increase spending or reduce taxes. One study found the ARRA FMAP increase "had an economically large and statistically robust positive effect on employment."

GAO determined that the ARRA FMAP increase was better timed than the JGTRRA FMAP increase because the ARRA FMAP increase began during the recession, when all states were experiencing Medicaid enrollment increases and state tax revenue decreases. GAO also found that the ARRA FMAP increase was better targeted than the JGTRRA FMAP increase because the ARRA increase included unemployment-related adjustments for certain states.

FFCRA FMAP Increase

FFCRA provides an increase to the FMAP rate for all states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of 6.2 percentage points, beginning on the first day of the calendar quarter in which the COVID-19 public health emergency period began (i.e., January 1, 2020) and ending on the last day of the calendar quarter in which the last day of the COVID-19 public health emergency period ends. Table C-1 shows the FY2020 FMAP rates for the states, the District of Columbia, and the territories and those FMAP rates plus 6.2 percentage points.

To receive this increased FMAP rate, states, the District of Columbia, and the territories are required to (1) ensure that their Medicaid "eligibility standards, methodologies, and procedures" are no more restrictive than those that were in effect on January 1, 2020; (2) not impose premiums exceeding the amounts in place as of January 1, 2020; (3) provide continuous coverage of Medicaid enrollees during the COVID-19 public health emergency period; and (4) provide coverage (without the imposition of cost sharing) for testing services and treatments for COVIDâ19 (including vaccines, specialized equipment, and therapies).

Another condition to receive the FFCRA FMAP increase is that states, the District of Columbia, and the territories cannot require local governments to fund a larger percentage of the state's nonfederal Medicaid expenditures for the Medicaid state plan or Medicaid DSH payments than what was required on March 11, 2020.

The FFCRA FMAP increase does not apply to most FMAP exceptions, including the FMAP exceptions for the ACA Medicaid expansion, family planning, and home health services. However, the FFCRA FMAP increase does apply to a few FMAP exceptions. For Community First Choice services, the FFCRA FMAP increase is added to the six percentage point FMAP increase under Section 1915(k) of the Social Security Act, if the expenditures otherwise qualify. Also, FMAP exceptions calculated based on the regular FMAP use the regular FMAP plus the FFCRA FMAP increase for the calculation. These FMAP exceptions are for individuals eligible on the basis of breast and cervical cancer, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, and Money Follows the Person.

In addition to the territories receiving the FFCRA FMAP increase, FFCRA increases the federal Medicaid funding available for each territory in FY2020 and FY2021. The aggregate additional funding for the territories increases from $3.0 billion to $3.1 billion in FY2020 and from $3.1 billion to $3.2 billion in FY2021.

In the past, GAO developed a prototype formula for temporary FMAP increases. One of the key components of the GAO prototype was making the temporary FMAP increase automatic so the FMAP increase could begin closer to the onset of a national recession. Although the FFCRA does not provide an automatic increase, the FFCRA FMAP increase is starting prior to an expected economic downturn.

Conclusion

The FMAP rate has been used as a means to provide fiscal relief to states in response to the 2001 recession, the Great Recession, and current economic conditions due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. These recession-related FMAP increases have been provided at times when states have experienced growth in unemployment rates that results in increases in the rate of growth for Medicaid enrollment, which in turn increases the rate of growth for Medicaid expenditures at the same time that state revenues decline.

These recession-related FMAP increases are similar but have some significant differences. All three of these recession-related FMAP increases have across-the-board FMAP increases; requirements to maintain Medicaid eligibility standards that are no more restrictive than they were prior to the FMAP increases; and requirements to ensure that states do not increase the percentage that local governments contribute to Medicaid expenditures.

However, the JGTRRA and ARRA FMAP increases included hold-harmless provisions that kept the states' regular FMAP rates from declining, and these increases excluded certain Medicaid expenditures from the FMAP increases. The ARRA FMAP increase had an unemployment-related increase that the JGTRRA and FFCRA increases did not have. Also, the JGTRRA FMAP increase did not have additional requirements for states, but ARRA and FFCRA have differing sets of additional requirements for states to adhere to in order to qualify for the FMAP increases.

In addition, many states indicated that the JGTRRA and ARRA FMAP increases provided fiscal relief that allowed the states to prevent further reductions to the Medicaid programs and other portions of their state budgets.

Appendix A. Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 FMAP Increase

The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (JGTRRA; P.L. 108-27 ) included a provision that increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) rates for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories during the last two quarters of FY2003 and the first three quarters of FY2004. The FMAP rates were held harmless and increased by an across-the-board 2.95 percentage points for each state (i.e., the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories). The JGTRRA FMAP increases were subject to certain requirements for states. For more detail about the JGTRRA FMAP increase, see " JGTRRA FMAP Increase ." Table A-1 shows states' regular FMAP rates and JGTRRA FMAP rates for FY2003 and FY2004.

Appendix B. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 FMAP Increase

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA; P.L. 111-5 ) provided a temporary FMAP rate increase to the 50 states and the District of Columbia that was later extended by P.L. 111-226 . With the extension, the ARRA FMAP increase lasted from the first quarter of FY2009 through the third quarter of FY2011 (i.e., October 2008 through June 2011).

ARRA held all states harmless from any decline in their regular FMAP rates throughout the period. Under the ARRA FMAP increases, all states (i.e., the 50 states and the District of Columbia) received an across-the-board increase of 6.2 percentage points to their regular FMAP through the first quarter of FY2011, at which point the across-the-board percentage point increase phased down to 3.2 and then 1.2 percentage points for the second and third quarters of FY2011, respectively.

Throughout the period, states with unemployment rates that had increased by certain amounts for a quarter received an additional unemployment-related increase. There were three tiers of the unemployment-related increase. See "ARRA Unemployment-Related Increase" for details about the unemployment-related increase, including how it was calculated.

The ARRA FMAP increases were subject to certain requirements for states. For more information about the ARRA FMAP increases and these requirements, see " ARRA FMAP Increase ."

Table B-1 shows the FMAP rate increases under ARRA and extended by P.L. 111-226 for each quarter, from the first quarter of FY2009 through the third quarter of FY2011. Table B-2 provides an example of how the FMAPs under ARRA with the hold-harmless and the unemployment-related increases were calculated for the second quarter of FY2010.

Appendix C. Families First Coronavirus Response Act FMAP Increase

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA; P.L. 116-127 ) provides an increase to the FMAP rate for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of 6.2 percentage points, beginning on the first day of calendar quarter in which the public health emergency period began (i.e., January 1, 2020) and ending on the last day of the calendar quarter in which the last day of the public health emergency period ends. See the " FFCRA FMAP Increase " section for information about the state requirements for receiving the FFCRA FMAP increase. Table C-1 shows states' FY2020 FMAP rates and those FMAP rates plus the 6.2 percentage points added by FFCRA.