State Health and Value Strategies (SHVS) developed this resource page to serve as an accessible one-stop source of information for states in “unwinding” the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Medicaid continuous coverage requirement has allowed people to retain Medicaid coverage and get needed care during the pandemic. Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CCA) on December 23, 2023, an omnibus funding package that separates the continuous coverage provision from the COVID-19 public health emergency by providing a fixed end date of March 31, 2023. These resources are designed to support states planning for this major coverage event, including developing processes that prioritize coverage retention. SHVS will update this page frequently with new resources as they become available.
State Health and Value Strategies (SHVS) developed this resource page to serve as an accessible one-stop source of information for states in “unwinding” the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Medicaid continuous coverage requirement has allowed people to retain Medicaid coverage and get needed care during the pandemic. Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CCA) on December 23, 2023, an omnibus funding package that separates the continuous coverage provision from the COVID-19 public health emergency by providing a fixed end date of March 31, 2023. These resources are designed to support states planning for this major coverage event, including developing processes that prioritize coverage retention. SHVS will update this page frequently with new resources as they become available.
For more than two years, states have maintained coverage of their Medicaid enrollees as a condition of receiving enhanced federal Medicaid funding under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, resulting in considerable increases in coverage for all Americans, including pregnant and postpartum individuals. When the federal Medicaid continuous coverage requirement expires, states will redetermine eligibility for nearly all Medicaid enrollees, including roughly 1.7 million people enrolled in a Medicaid or CHIP pregnancy eligibility group. This issue brief reviews proactive strategies that states can deploy to support postpartum individuals in maintaining health coverage and access to care when the Medicaid continuous coverage guarantee ends and beyond.
Medicaid enrollment has increased by over 10 million (or 15 percent) from February 2020 through February 2021 across all states since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. States have a clear imperative to center health equity as they plan for the end of the public health emergency (PHE) given that Black, Latino/a, and other people of color are most at risk of coverage loss. This expert perspective highlights strategies states can implement to ensure that the end of the PHE does not exacerbate already widespread racial and ethnic disparities in our health care system.