Medicaid & CHIP Eligibility Reviews Resume NOW
In March 2020, Congress passed a law pausing eligibility terminations for individuals enrolled in state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP). This pause helped prevent people with Medicaid and CHIP—in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories—from losing their health coverage during the pandemic. A more recent law (December 2022) ends that pause and requires states to restart Medicaid and CHIP eligibility reviews. According to some estimates, when states resume these reviews, up to 15 million people could lose their current Medicaid or CHIP coverage through a process called “unwinding.”
In an effort to minimize the number of people that lose Medicaid or CHIP coverage, CMS is working with states and other stakeholders to inform people about renewing their coverage and exploring other available health insurance options if they no longer qualify for Medicaid or CHIP.
CMS views Medicaid and CHIP continuous enrollment unwinding as 2 phases:
- Phase 1: Prepare for the renewal process and educate Medicaid and CHIP enrollees about the upcoming changes.
- Phase 2: Ensure Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries take the necessary steps to renew coverage, and transition to other coverage if they’re no longer eligible for Medicaid or CHIP.
This content was shared for public use by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
