Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency —
What Partners Need to Know 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is committed to ensuring access to comprehensive health care coverage by providing partners with guidance and resources as they plan for the eventual end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) and the Medicaid continuous coverage condition established under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Since the beginning of the Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has committed that it will provide states with 60 days of notice before any planned expiration or termination of the PHE to give states as much lead time as possible. In line with that commitment, CMS will be communicating early and often with states and other partners to support planning and coordination of this unwinding process. This communication is a part of that ongoing outreach.

KEY RESOURES:
CMS has created a new Unwinding homepage with additional tools and resources.

• On this page, you can find the new Communications Toolkit and graphics to help partners begin reaching out to Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees so that they are prepared for the upcoming renewal, along with several other unwinding resources.
• The toolkit and graphics are available in both English and Spanish.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
On March 3, 2022, CMS provided states with additional guidance and tools as they plan for whenever the COVID-19 PHE does conclude. When the PHE does eventually end, states will be required, over time, to redetermine eligibility for all people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. The recently released guidance will help states keep consumers connected to coverage by either renewing individuals’ Medicaid or CHIP eligibility or transferring them to other health insurance options.

WHAT PARTNERS CAN DO NOW:
Right now, partners can help prepare for the renewal process by educating people with Medicaid and CHIP coverage about the upcoming changes. People with Medicaid & CHIP coverage should:

1. Update their contact information with their State Medicaid or CHIP program; and
2. Look out for a letter from their state about completing a renewal form.

Key Messages for Partners to Share
There are three main messages that partners should focus on now when communicating with people that are enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. These messages can be customized based on your organization or state’s specific needs.

1. Update your contact information – Make sure [Name of State Medicaid or CHIP program] has your current mailing address, phone number, email, or other contact information. This way, they’ll be able to contact you about your Medicaid or CHIP coverage.
2. Check your mail – [Name of State Medicaid or CHIP program] will mail you a letter about your Medicaid or CHIP coverage. This letter will also let you know if you need to complete a renewal form to see if you still qualify for Medicaid or CHIP.
3. Complete your renewal form (if you get one) – Fill out the form and return it to [Name of State Medicaid or CHIP program] right away to help avoid a gap in your Medicaid or CHIP coverage.

Sample social media posts, graphics, and drop-in articles that focus on these key messages can be found in the Communications Toolkit. The Unwinding homepage will continue to be updated as new resources and tools are released.

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

Stay Connected with the Campaign 

• Share our Campaign materials. Our ever-growing, multi-lingual Outreach Tool Library features a variety of targeted resources to use in your outreach and enrollment efforts, available in multiple formats.
• Contact us. To get more involved with the Campaign, contact us via email at [email protected].
• Follow the Campaign on Twitter. Remember to re-tweet or share our messages from @IKNGov with your social network and be sure to use our #Enroll365 and #KidsEnroll hashtags in your posts.