On Wednesday February 22, 2023, we had one of our bigger #WellnessWed chats to date on protecting children and families' health coverage when the public health emergency (PHE) ends. Both national and state partners such as Georgetown CCF, Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition, Children's Hospital Association, March of Dimes, American Academy of Pediatrics, First Focus, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities joined. This conversation was critical given the concern around the unwinding Medicaid's continuous coverage. We talked about what exactly is the Medicaid continuous coverage protection along with why it was needed and the duration. Additionally, participants discussed what people should do to keep themselves and their children insured when continuous coverage ends. There was clarification about why people who are still eligible for Medicaid lose coverage along with why there are some children and families at greater risk of falling through the cracks and losing coverage. Lastly, we talked about what advocates and stakeholders do to protect children and families from losing coverage. Below are some partner resources to learn more:

Partner Resources:

• CMS: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/what-do-i-need-know-cms-waivers-flexibilities-and-transition-forward-covid-19-public-health.pdf 

• CBPP: States Must Act to Preserve Medicaid Coverage as End of Continuous Coverage Requirement Nears

• Commonwealth Fund: Medicaid’s Continuous Enrollment Guarantee Is About to End: The Challenge of Navigating the Wind-Down Process

• nHelp: Families USA: PHE and Continuous Coverage Unwinding Resources

• Pew: Many Medicaid Recipients Could Lose Coverage as Pandemic Ends

• PIF Webinar: Medicaid Unwinding Webinar