Stakeholder Call on Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Enrollment Unwinding

 

Join HHS and CMS for Partner Education on Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Enrollment Unwinding  You are invited to join the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the first of a monthly partner education series on Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Enrollment Unwinding. Over the COVID-19 public health emergency, the federal government eased rules in order to prevent people with Medicaid and CHIP from losing their health coverage during the pandemic. However, at some point soon states will be required to restart Medicaid and CHIP eligibility reviews meaning that millions of people could lose their health coverage due to procedural reasons. HHS and CMS are working to ensure that people are connected to the best coverage they are eligible for and would like to partner with YOU. This call will provide background information on the Medicaid continuous enrollment requirements, efforts underway to connect people to coverage, discuss strategies to engage people with Medicaid & CHIP, and review resources currently available for partners to begin sharing information on preparing for the Medicaid and CHIP redetermination process with your audiences. This will be the first in a monthly call series. We hope you are able to join us. When: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Time: 12:00-1:00 PM ET Where: Zoom link will be provided following registration. Who should attend: If your organization serves or interfaces with people that have health insurance through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) then this call is for YOU! RSVP: https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_qma5AvyBQWCTB0vbNF3lTA Please send all questions to PARTNERSHIP@cms.hhs.gov.   Additional Background In March 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) temporarily waived certain Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) requirements and conditions. The easing of these rules helped prevent people with Medicaid and CHIP—in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories—from losing their health coverage during the pandemic. However, states will soon be required to restart Medicaid and CHIP eligibility reviews. According to some estimates, when states resume these reviews, up to 15 million people could lose their current Medicaid or CHIP coverage through a process called “unwinding.” In an effort to minimize the number of people that lose Medicaid or CHIP coverage, CMS is working with states and other stakeholders to inform people about renewing their coverage and exploring other available health insurance options if they no longer qualify for Medicaid or CHIP. CMS views Medicaid and CHIP continuous enrollment unwinding as 2 phases: Phase 1: Prepare for the renewal process and educate Medicaid and CHIP enrollees about the upcoming changes. (HAPPENING NOW) Phase 2: Ensure Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries take the necessary steps to renew coverage, and transition to other coverage if they’re no longer eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. The Biden-Harris Administration has committed to provide states 60 days of notice before any planned expiration or termination of the Public Health Emergency. As of May 15, 2022, no notice has been issued indicating when the PHE declaration will end. In line with that commitment, CMS will be communicating regularly with partners to support planning and coordination during the unwinding process to help ensure people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP maintain a source of health care coverage.

 

 

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