Unwinding Provisions in the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act

After weeks of negotiations during the lame duck session, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, an omnibus funding package that includes government appropriations through September 30, 2023 as well as a number of health policy provisions. Among the health policies included in the package, section 5131 of the legislation provides a fixed end date for the Medicaid continuous coverage guarantee (March 31, 2023), a gradual phase down of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) enhanced federal match rate, and new conditions, reporting requirements, and enforcement mechanisms to prioritize coverage retention and smooth coverage transitions during the “unwinding.” This expert perspective provides an overview of these unwinding provisions and considerations for states.