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Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Coming to an End

Feb 27, 2023

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that they will be ceasing the continuous enrollment condition of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and reverting to normal eligibility and enrollment operations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS temporarily waived certain Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) requirements and conditions to prevent people from losing their health coverage during the pandemic. However, the yearly reviews for eligibility will soon be reenacted.

What to Expect

Beginning on April 1, 2023, states will be able to terminate Medicaid enrollment for those who are no longer eligible. Each state will have up to 12 months to initiate, and 14 months to complete, a renewal for all individuals enrolled in Medicaid, CHIP, and the Basic Health Program following the end of the continuous enrollment condition. This process is referred to as "unwinding." Some estimates predict that up to 15 million people could lose their Medicaid or CHIP coverage through the unwinding process.

To help minimize the number of those who lose coverage, CMS is working to inform people about renewing their coverage and exploring other coverage options if they are no longer eligible for Medicaid or CHIP.

How to Prepare

The best way to prepare for unwinding is to provide information on how Medicaid renewal has been impacted and how people can access information about their Medicaid and CHIP coverage.

To avoid a gap in coverage when renewing Medicaid or CHIP:

  • Make sure your contact information is up to date
  • Check your mail for information on eligibility and renewal
  • Complete and return your renewal form right away

Resources

  • The Medicaid unwinding communication toolkit lists steps to renew Medicaid or CHIP, as well as resources if you no longer qualify for coverage. It also provides examples of emails and other communication methods to share information on the unwinding process.
  • The Medicaid renewal page provides state-by-state contact information for Medicaid and CHIP.
  • The Medicaid unwinding page supplies readers with more information about unwinding guidance.