To: State Department Directors and Autonomous Agency Heads
From: Governor Gretchen Whitmer
The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, passed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, required Medicaid programs to keep participants continuously enrolled and provided additional federal funding to do so. In December 2022, Congress passed a law ending the continuous enrollment and winding down the associated federal funding. As a result, more than 3 million Michiganders will need to undergo redeterminations for Medicaid coverage or find alternative health insurance if they no longer qualify.
During the COVID pandemic emergency, Congress passed legislation which, among other things, required states to provide "continuous coverage" of people who enrolled in Medicaid or the CHIP program.
Normally Medicaid/CHIP enrollees have their eligibility statuses "redetermined" every month (or quarter in some states, I believe) to make sure they were still eligible for the program, but the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) stated that in order to receive increased federal funding of their Medicaid/CHIP programs, states couldn't kick anyone off as long as the public health emergency was in place (unless they died, moved out of state or asked to be disenrolled).
This requirement ended effective April 1st, 2023 via an omnibus bill passed back in December.
New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Establishes Extended Special Enrollment Period at Get Covered New Jersey for Individuals Losing NJ FamilyCare Coverage
TRENTON – New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Marlene Caride today announced the creation of an extended Special Enrollment Period for individuals who are no longer eligible for NJ FamilyCare and qualify for health insurance through Get Covered New Jersey, the state’s Official Health Insurance Marketplace.
Per federal law, the Department of Human Services is restarting eligibility reviews for NJ FamilyCare as of April 1, which will result in some individuals who are no longer eligible being disenrolled from the program. For those who no longer qualify for NJ FamilyCare because their income is too high, they may be eligible to obtain health coverage through Get Covered New Jersey and may be able to get help paying for premiums.
Newly proposed standards and requirements would better ensure access to care, accountability, and transparency for Medicaid or CHIP services, including home and community-based services.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today unveiled two notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRMs), Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services (Access NPRM) and Managed Care Access, Finance, and Quality (Managed Care NPRM),that together would further strengthen access to and quality of care across Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the nation’s largest health coverage programs. These rules build on Medicaid’s already strong foundation as an essential program for millions of families and individuals, especially children, pregnant people, older adults, and people with disabilities.
In January 2023, 93,008,246 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.
85,915,795 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid in January 2023, an increase of 629,200 individuals from December 2022.
7,092,451 individuals were enrolled in CHIP in January 2023, an increase of 30,891 individuals from December 2022.
Since February 2020, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP has increased by 22,358,006 individuals (31.6%).
Medicaid enrollment has increased by 22,110,705 individuals (34.7%).
CHIP enrollment has increased by 247,301 individuals (3.6%).
The Medicaid enrollment increases are likely driven by COVID-19 and the continuous enrollment condition in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
Enrollment Assistors Attend YMCA Kids Day Events Throughout the State to Help Consumers Renew or Enroll in Health Coverage
Eligibility Redeterminations will be Resuming for Over 9 Million New Yorkers in Medicaid, Child Health Plus and the Essential Plan
ALBANY, N.Y. (April 27, 2023) – NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace, today announced it will participate in the YMCA’s annual Healthy Kids Day, a national initiative featuring free community events with family-friendly activities that promote wellness. Certified enrollment assistors will be available at select YMCAs statewide on April 29, 2023, to provide free help to New Yorkers. They will provide information about upcoming changes to their health insurance, answer questions about renewals, and provide information to uninsured New Yorkers about enrolling in coverage through the Marketplace.
Since March 2020, Aligned with Federal Continuous Coverage Requirements, Enrollment in NY State of Health Programs has Grown by 41 Percent
As the Post-Public Health Emergency Redetermination Process Begins, State Has Deployed Multi-pronged Strategy to Maximize Number of Consumers who Maintain Coverage
ALBANY, N.Y. (April 20, 2023) – NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace, today released the 2023 Health Insurance Coverage Update, a detailed summary of NY State of Health enrollment, including demographics, quality measures, and the cost savings realized by millions of New Yorkers who have comprehensive health insurance through the Marketplace. As of January 31, 2023, NY State of Health enrollment is nearly 6.9 million, or more than one in three New Yorkers across the state.
Yesterday I noted that the Maryland legislature, which has had an excellent record on healthcare reform policy in recent years, had a rare misstep when they took a pass on allowing undocumented immigrants to enroll in the states ACA exchange. While the lack of federal subsidy eligibility would have severely limited the number of undocumented Maryland residents who would be able to utilize this path towards healthcare, it was still a missed opportunity.
Today, however, I can report that the MD legislature has passed several other bills which move things in the right direction. Via Rob Flaks of WMDT:
With just days left in the General Assembly session, Maryland lawmakers have passed a series of bills aimed at expanding healthcare access and combating costs across the state.
In December 2022, 92,340,585 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.
85,280,085 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid in December 2022, an increase of 425,110
7,060,500 individuals were enrolled in CHIP in December 2022, an increase of 87,296 individuals from November 2022.
Since February 2020, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP has increased by 21,690,345 individuals (30.7%).
Medicaid enrollment has increased by 21,474,995 individuals (33.7%).
CHIP enrollment has increased by 215,350 individuals (3.1%).
The Medicaid enrollment increases are likely driven by COVID-19 and the continuous enrollment condition in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
In December 2022, 2,360,820 applications for Medicaid and CHIP were submitted directly to states.
