The Families First Act of March 2020 ensured that anyone enrolled in Medicaid would not be disenrolled from Medicaid during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) for any reason. However, when the Public Health Emergency (PHE) ends, those currently on Medicaid will have to be re-determined as eligible by the state. We want to work with you to make sure that no Medicaid recipient loses their Medicaid during this transition.
Why might a family lose their Medicaid coverage?
An increase in family income is the primary reason a family could lose their Medicaid coverage, but it is also possible a family can lose coverage if the Medicaid Division can’t reach them. That’s why it’s so important that everyone currently on Medicaid makes sure their contact information is up to date.
What is being done to prevent families from losing their Medicaid coverage?
Medicaid advocates want all families enrolled in Medicaid to update their contact information with Medicaid now because families must be contacted before their Medicaid enrollment can be ended. Updated contact information will ensure that Medicaid is able to contact a family to verify the family’s eligibility when the Public Health Emergency ends.
What options do families have to have to keep health insurance coverage at the end of the PHE?
If at the end of the PHE a family’s income does not exceed Medicaid guidelines, families will have their Medicaid renewed.
If their family income exceeds Medicaid guidelines – health care workers will assist them in making the transition to enroll in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or an Affordable Health Care Plan in the Marketplace.
What can you do to reach out to parents?
As child care providers, there are several ways you can reach out to parents to remind them to update their contact information with Medicaid. You can post on your Facebook page by using this toolkit with messaging and graphics, send a text message, e-mail or send a letter home with the parent. Click here for a simple form letter that can be copied and sent home with parents or emailed to parents asking that they update their contact information.
To learn more about upcoming changes to Medicaid and strategies to reach out to Medicaid enrollees, join MLICCI in an upcoming Zoom webinar on June 30th at 1:00 p.m. by clicking on this link.