Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09), Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-14), Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33), and Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10) led a letter with their colleagues to President Biden and to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra urging HHS to open a special enrollment period for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries.  The effort comes as certain Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries are set to lose health insurance coverage as soon as February 1, 2023.

“We write to request that you favorably consider the implementation of a special enrollment period for beneficiaries directly affected by the elimination of continuous coverage requirement authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” the Members wrote.

“With the continuous coverage requirement ending on March 31, 2023, states could possibly begin their unwinding periods as early as February 1, 2023.  Currently, when an individual loses their Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage due to changes in eligibility, they qualify for a 60-day special enrollment period in the ACA marketplace. We are concerned the current timeline does not give beneficiaries affected by this new policy sufficient time to renew their existing Medicaid coverage or transition to marketplace coverage,” the Members continued.

In March 2020, Congresswoman Fletcher voted for the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, which included a requirement that Medicaid programs keep people enrolled until the COVID-19 public health emergency ends, in exchange for additional federal funding.  In December, Congresswoman Fletcher voted for the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, which set the end date for the continuous coverage requirement for March 31, 2023, as well as a phasedown of the additional federal Medicaid funding through December 2023. 

The elimination of the continuous coverage requirement is the single largest health coverage transition event since the first open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Without intervention, nearly 18 million people are at risk of losing coverage during the unwinding process.

To view full text of the letter, click here.