U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new steps to help people keep their health insurance as states begin checking eligibility for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) again. These checks were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now HHS wants to ensure that more people can maintain their coverage or easily switch to new options.
One important update is the extension of a special enrollment period (SEP) for those who are no longer eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. This period, which allows people to sign up for health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, will now last until November 30, 2024. This is crucial as it gives individuals more time to secure affordable coverage before the next open enrollment period starts.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra highlighted the commitment to ensuring that everyone eligible for Medicaid and CHIP can get the coverage they need. He urged states to use the resources and support provided by HHS to help people through the renewal process.
CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure emphasized that maintaining health coverage for families is a top priority. Today’s actions aim to connect more families with the healthcare they need.
In addition to the enrollment extension, CMS has released new guidance and resources to help states and families. These include:
– Instructions for states to follow federal rules during the renewal process.
– Support for Medicaid managed care plans to assist people with their renewal paperwork.
– Resources for families to navigate the process if they are found ineligible for Medicaid.
HHS encourages states to adopt effective strategies to help eligible people renew their coverage. Recent efforts have led to a significant increase in automatic renewals. For example, California’s automatic renewal rate jumped from about 34% to 66% after using these strategies.
These actions are part of a broader effort by HHS and CMS over the past year to protect health coverage, including outreach campaigns and new rules to simplify the enrollment process. The goal is to ensure that millions of eligible children and adults can access and keep their health insurance.
Including Medicaid in this discussion is vital because it provides essential health coverage for low-income individuals and families, allowing them to access medical services without worrying about high costs.
For more information: HHS GOV
