Big Updates on Pandemic-Era Policies Unwinding Medicaid Continuous Coverage Late in 2022, Congress passed a big funding bill that delinks the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement from the Public Health Emergency (PHE). (Read more in the last TOED.) The PHE was recently extended one last time and is set to expire in May. Starting in March 2023, Texas HHSC will begin the process of checking electronic data sources for some Medicaid enrollees. As early as April 1, 2023, members will receive renewal packets or requests for information with 30 days to respond. These notices will be mailed in a yellow envelope that says “Action Required” in red. People no longer eligible may be disenrolled from Medicaid. To help clients prepare, they should:
- Sign up for an account at YourTexasBenefits.com or on the Your Texas Benefits mobile app.
- Report any changes to contact information to ensure any notices are received.
- Return renewal packets or requests for information as soon as possible. Information from HHSC is coming in yellow envelopes.
HHSC’s Ambassador Toolkit includes great information available in English and Spanish for both Medicaid and SNAP. Seguro Texas’ toolkit includes outreach resources also available in English and Spanish. New Unwinding HealthCare.Gov Special Enrollment Period From March 31, 2023, through July 31, 2024, HealthCare.Gov will be providing additional flexibility for Marketplace-eligible consumers losing Medicaid or CHIP to enroll in Marketplace coverage following the end of the Medicaid continuous coverage period. They can enroll in HealthCare.Gov through a new Special Enrollment Period (SEP), referred to as the “Unwinding SEP." Read more here. In addition to this new SEP, people who will lose Medicaid coverage have an SEP for losing minimum essential coverage available 60 days before losing coverage. Beyond the Basics Webinar Opportunity Unwinding the Medicaid Continuous Coverage Requirement
Tuesday, February 21, 2023 | 1:00 PM CT This webinar will describe what assisters can expect when states begin to unwind the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement that ends March 31, 2023, including how to mitigate coverage losses and help people navigate transitions to marketplace coverage. Pandemic EBT HHSC was approved to issue $391 in food benefits for kids when schools closed for summer 2022. Benefits started being issued in November and December 2022, but nearly one million children in Texas still need to claim their benefits. This is especially critical as SNAP emergency allotments come to an end. Who Is Eligible for Summer P-EBT?
- Families with school age (K-12) children who:
- Qualified for free or reduced lunch during the 2021-2022 school year,
- Filled out a meal application over the summer, or
- Attended a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school in Texas last year.
- Families that are receiving SNAP and have children under six years of age.
How to Get Your Benefits
- For Texas families that currently receive SNAP benefits: Your child’s P-EBT benefits were automatically loaded onto your Lone Star Card. Check your card to make sure you got them.
- For non-SNAP households that have previously received P-EBT: your P-EBT benefits were loaded on your current P-EBT card. Check your card to make sure you got them.
- If your child attended a CEP school, but your household has never received SNAP or P-EBT you should have received a letter in the mail with a six-character claim code. You can redeem your P-EBT benefits by creating an account on the YourTexasBenefits.com website or by calling the P-EBT Call Center at 833-442-1255.
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