On July 27, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) held its third monthly webinar on unwinding the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) flexibilities for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility. CMS will post a recording and transcript of the webinar to the CMS National Stakeholder Calls webpage. Additional resources on unwinding the PHE can be found here for states and providers and here for Medicaid and CHIP enrollees. The next webinar will be held on August 24, 2022, at 12:00pm EST. Monthly webinars are scheduled through December 2022.

Key Takeaways

• Twenty million or more enrollees could lose their Medicaid or CHIP coverage when the PHE ends.
• CMS staff and stakeholders discussed maintaining and initiating coverage for children, teens, and families who are eligible for Medicaid and/or CHIP.
• CMS is currently focusing on its Back-to-School Initiative.

Beth Lynk, CMS, led the call, with remarks from Jessica Beauchemin and Stefanie Costello (CMS); Emily Roller (Virginia Health Care Foundation); Natalie Pennywell and Rachel Lawrence (Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services); and Hannah Garden-Monheit (Executive Office of the President, The White House).

In March 2020, federal legislation established the continuous enrollment condition. This means that the federal government provided states with enhanced federal Medicaid funding in exchange for maintaining enrollments for all individuals through the end of the PHE. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has indicated that it intends to give at least 60 days’ notice prior to the end of the PHE, with the current declaration slated to end on October 13, 2022. When the PHE ends, states will have 12 months to initiate eligibility redeterminations, which could result in 20 million or more individuals losing their Medicaid or CHIP coverage. In this webinar, CMS staff and stakeholders discussed maintaining and initiating coverage for children, teens, and their families who are eligible for Medicaid and/or CHIP.

Jessica Beauchemin began the call with an overview of the Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign, which was established in 2009 to reach uninsured children and families. On July 19, HHS, through CMS, announced $49 million in awards to 36 organizations dedicated to connecting people with healthcare coverage. These awards are CMS’s largest investment in outreach and enrollment through the Connecting Kids to Coverage program. This year, the campaign is focused on helping families maintain healthcare coverage when the PHE concludes. Nearly seven million children could transition from Medicaid coverage or lose coverage, disproportionately impacting Black and Latinx children.

With the school year beginning, CMS is focusing on its Back-to-School Initiative, an annual campaign aimed at reminding people enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP to ensure that their state Medicaid office has their correct address. The initiative has three main messages: (1) prepare for the end of the PHE now, (2) healthcare coverage helps children thrive at school and in life, and (3) remind parents that their children are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP. CMS has developed several customizable materials for this initiative, including digital resources, infographics, social media posts, and text messages. These resources are available in over 20 languages on the insurekidsnow.gov webpage.

Emily Roller, Natalie Pennywell, and Rachel Lawrence provided examples of ways their organizations use the Connecting Kids to Coverage Campaign materials as the school year begins. The speakers reiterated the importance of using both digital and print materials to provide information on Medicaid and CHIP enrollment. The Virginia Health Care Foundation, for example, uses print materials at back-to-school nights and for renewal reminders, and digital materials on Facebook. Similarly, the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services uses a blend of tools as part of its own back-to-school campaign.

Hannah Garden-Monheit highlighted the White House’s Affordability Connectivity Program, which is a new federal program that helps low-income families afford internet access. About 13 million households have signed up, and approximately 40 percent of U.S. households are eligible. Ms. Garden-Monheit highlighted the getinternet.govwebpage to connect people with this affordable access.

Questions and Answers

Question: Is there an open enrollment for children?

• Jessica Beauchemin: There is no specific enrollment period for children and teens.

Question: How many children are expected to lose coverage?

• Beth Lynk: Nearly seven million children could transition from Medicaid coverage or lose it.

Question: With regards to continuous enrollment with Medicaid, will the enrollment period change?

• Jessica Stephens: It will vary by state. Some states have continued to conduct renewals and people have stayed on the same monthly schedule. Stay on the lookout for a renewal notice.

Question: What types of materials do you have in these languages for the Back-to-School initiative?

• Jessica Beauchemin: All resources are available in English and Spanish. They are working on adding different translations based on requests received.

Question: We have digital social media campaigns but do not have high traffic. Do you have any tips on how to get more traffic?

• Emily Roller: If you work in tandem with larger partner organizations, then you could tag them. You can also boost programs on Facebook and set parameters.

Question: What is the plan for how renewal letters will be sent out? Are renewals only going to come by mail?

• Jessica Stephens: This varies by state – states have their own plans for ordering renewals. Mail is not the only mechanism.

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This Applied Policy Summary was prepared by Marlowe Galbraith with support from the Applied Policy team of health policy experts. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact her at mgalbraith@appliedpolicy.com or at 610-937-8378.