When the PHE Ends

 From Covering Kids & Families of Indiana

Following the expiration of the public health emergency (PHE), states will resume normal eligibility and enrollment activities and begin to redetermine Medicaid eligibility for all enrollees. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released guidance that includes giving states 12 months to complete the “PHE unwinding” process and requiring robust consumer communication, among other strategies. Large-scale disruption in health coverage as a result of the PHE expiring will likely have a disproportionate impact on Black, Latinx and other people of color who have also suffered from a disproportionate impact from the pandemic.

Manatt’s recently published article encourages states to center equity in planning for the end of the PHE. One of their recommendations is engaging with communities through a community-based approach with trusted messengers and community-based assisters to do outreach and assistance. They also recommend collaborating with and funding navigators and assisters for outreach and renewal assistance.

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