Dear Providers, Parents, and Community Partners,
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.”
If you are at risk of losing your Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage, families and providers may be eligible for other coverage options, including coverage through HealthCare.gov or call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325) to get details about Marketplace coverage.
If your child no longer qualifies for Medicaid, you may be able to get them health coverage through your state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). For more information about Medicaid renewal or CHIP coverage, contact your state Medicaid office or visit Medicaid.gov.
Because of this situation, there is an HHS department-wide initiative to ensure that we amplify the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) messaging now to encourage individuals to take the following steps:
- Update your contact information with their state Medicaid program or CHIP
- Check your mail for a renewal form and to complete and submit the form in a timely manner.
- Complete your renewal for (if you got one)
If you would like to help spread the word about continuous eligibility unwinding, here is a toolkit you can use: