CERTIFIED MEDICAID PLANNER (CMP™) EXAMINATION
300 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS AND
RATIONALES
SECTION 1: MEDICAID PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND FUNDING (Questions 1–25)
1. Medicaid is best described as a:
A) Purely federal program with identical rules in every state
B) Joint federal-state program in which states administer benefits within federal
guidelines, resulting in state-by-state variation
C) Private insurance program
D) A supplement paid directly to Medicare beneficiaries only
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Medicaid is jointly funded by federal and state governments; states
have latitude within federal minimums, which is why rules and dollar limits vary
by state.
---
2. Which federal agency has primary oversight of the Medicaid program at the
federal level?
,A) The Social Security Administration (SSA)
B) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
C) The Department of Labor
D) The Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: CMS, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, oversees
federal Medicaid policy and approves state plans and waivers.
---
3. Which federal statute provides the primary legal authority for the Medicaid
program?
A) Title XVIII of the Social Security Act
B) Title XIX of the Social Security Act
C) Title II of the Social Security Act
D) The Affordable Care Act
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Title XIX of the Social Security Act establishes the Medicaid program
and provides the foundational legal framework for Medicaid eligibility, benefits,
and administration.
,---
4. A 'state plan' Medicaid benefit differs from a Medicaid 'waiver' program
primarily in that:
A) State plan benefits are optional for states to offer, while waivers are
mandatory
B) Waiver programs allow states to deviate from certain standard federal
requirements, often to expand home and community-based services
C) State plans only cover nursing facility care
D) Waivers eliminate all financial eligibility requirements
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Waivers (e.g., HCBS waivers under Section 1915(c)) let states test
alternatives to standard rules, frequently to fund community-based long-term
care.
---
5. Long-term care Medicaid eligibility is generally assessed using which two broad
categories of criteria?
A) Age and citizenship only
, B) Financial (income and asset) criteria and functional/medical (level of care)
criteria
C) Marital status and employment history
D) Credit score and property tax history
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Applicants must meet both financial eligibility limits and a
medical/functional need for a nursing-facility level of care.
---
6. Which of the following is generally true about Medicaid planning across states?
A) All 50 states use identical countable asset limits and exemption rules
B) Because Medicaid is state-administered within federal guidelines, specific
dollar limits and certain rules can differ meaningfully from state to state
C) Medicaid planning rules are set entirely by the IRS
D) Medicaid eligibility rules cannot change from year to year
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: State variation is a defining feature of Medicaid, making it essential for
planners to verify current rules in the applicable state.
---
300 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS AND
RATIONALES
SECTION 1: MEDICAID PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND FUNDING (Questions 1–25)
1. Medicaid is best described as a:
A) Purely federal program with identical rules in every state
B) Joint federal-state program in which states administer benefits within federal
guidelines, resulting in state-by-state variation
C) Private insurance program
D) A supplement paid directly to Medicare beneficiaries only
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Medicaid is jointly funded by federal and state governments; states
have latitude within federal minimums, which is why rules and dollar limits vary
by state.
---
2. Which federal agency has primary oversight of the Medicaid program at the
federal level?
,A) The Social Security Administration (SSA)
B) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
C) The Department of Labor
D) The Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: CMS, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, oversees
federal Medicaid policy and approves state plans and waivers.
---
3. Which federal statute provides the primary legal authority for the Medicaid
program?
A) Title XVIII of the Social Security Act
B) Title XIX of the Social Security Act
C) Title II of the Social Security Act
D) The Affordable Care Act
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Title XIX of the Social Security Act establishes the Medicaid program
and provides the foundational legal framework for Medicaid eligibility, benefits,
and administration.
,---
4. A 'state plan' Medicaid benefit differs from a Medicaid 'waiver' program
primarily in that:
A) State plan benefits are optional for states to offer, while waivers are
mandatory
B) Waiver programs allow states to deviate from certain standard federal
requirements, often to expand home and community-based services
C) State plans only cover nursing facility care
D) Waivers eliminate all financial eligibility requirements
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Waivers (e.g., HCBS waivers under Section 1915(c)) let states test
alternatives to standard rules, frequently to fund community-based long-term
care.
---
5. Long-term care Medicaid eligibility is generally assessed using which two broad
categories of criteria?
A) Age and citizenship only
, B) Financial (income and asset) criteria and functional/medical (level of care)
criteria
C) Marital status and employment history
D) Credit score and property tax history
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Applicants must meet both financial eligibility limits and a
medical/functional need for a nursing-facility level of care.
---
6. Which of the following is generally true about Medicaid planning across states?
A) All 50 states use identical countable asset limits and exemption rules
B) Because Medicaid is state-administered within federal guidelines, specific
dollar limits and certain rules can differ meaningfully from state to state
C) Medicaid planning rules are set entirely by the IRS
D) Medicaid eligibility rules cannot change from year to year
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: State variation is a defining feature of Medicaid, making it essential for
planners to verify current rules in the applicable state.
---
