Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign Notes: Preparing for Unwinding and Returning to Regular Operations after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Resources Available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Preparing for Unwinding and Returning to Regular Operations after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Resources Available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services The expiration of the continuous coverage requirement authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) presents the single largest health coverage transition event since the first open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act. As a condition of receiving a temporary 6.2 percentage point Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) increase under the FFCRA, states have been required to maintain enrollment of nearly all Medicaid enrollees. After the Public Health Emergency (PHE) ends, states will resume normal operations, including restarting full Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility renewals and ending coverage for individuals no longer eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. Unwinding processes will vary by state, but states will have up to 12 months to start an eligibility renewal for every individual enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. Explore key resources for unwinding: To prepare for the unwinding, CMS has released the “Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Enrollment Unwinding” toolkit in collaboration with states and other stakeholders. The toolkit offers resources for states and partners to encourage beneficiaries to update contact information, monitor the mail for important communications, and complete renewal forms, if necessary. Materials, available in both English and Spanish, include social media posts, sample communications copy, email templates, and a drop-in article.  CMS continues to share outreach resources to connect eligible families and children to Medicaid and CHIP and is working to ensure that fewer interruptions in health coverage occur during the unwinding period. Resources for returning to regular operations after the PHE has ended are available at Medicaid.gov/unwinding. CMS will continue to update the page as additional tools and resources are released. The Back-to-School season continues to be an important time to reach parents and enroll children who are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP so they are covered to fully participate in classroom and after-school activities. The Campaign has also created a 2022 Back-to-School Toolkit and graphics to highlight Unwinding messaging to emphasize the need for families who currently have Medicaid or CHIP to update their address with their state Medicaid office to maintain coverage. Current & Upcoming Observances: National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (July) National Immunization Awareness Month (August) Children’s Eye Health & Safety Month (August) National Health Center Week (August 7 – 13) Children’s Health Day (August 13) Stay Connected with the Campaign  Share our Campaign materials. Our ever-growing, multi-lingual Outreach Tool Library features a variety of targeted resources to use in your outreach and enrollment efforts, available in multiple formats. Contact us. To get more involved with the Campaign, contact us via email at ConnectingKids@cms.hhs.gov. Follow the Campaign on Twitter. Remember to re-tweet or share our messages from @IKNGov with your social network and be sure to use our #Enroll365 and #KidsEnroll hashtags in your posts. Subscribe to the “Campaign Notes” eNewsletter The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign eNewsletter “Campaign Notes” is distributed throughout the year and provides updates on Campaign activities. If a friend or colleague forwarded this email to you, we invite you to sign up to receive this eNewsletter directly to your inbox.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) To contact CMS, please visit our contact us page.