IMPORTANT: Look for your child’s Medicaid or CHIP renewal in the mail, complete it and mail it back immediately. They may be covered even if you’re not! Every child currently covered by Medicaid or CHIP will need to go through a renewal process within the next several months. Keep your child covered and healthy. Complete the renewal as soon as you get it in the mail! Go to Medicaid.gov/renewals to find contact information for your state Medicaid office.

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Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Eligibility Renewals are Here!

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) temporarily waived certain Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) requirements and conditions. The easing of these rules 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. Now that states are returning to normal operations, they’re restarting these eligibility reviews and can disenroll people as soon as April 1, 2023. According to some estimates, up to 15 million people could lose their current Medicaid or CHIP coverage through this “unwinding” process.

What You Can Do

To ensure that eligible children and their families keep their coverage, CMS is working with states and other partners to prepare people for Medicaid and CHIP renewals and to educate them about other health care options if they no longer qualify for Medicaid coverage. As a valued partner, here are some things you can do to help:

  • Educate people with Medicaid and CHIP about the renewal process and the importance of updating their family’s contact information with the state Medicaid or CHIP agency.
  • Tell them about other health care options if they no longer qualify for Medicaid or CHIP.
  • Make sure that parents/caregivers know that their children may still be eligible even if the parent/caregiver is not.
  • Share tools and resources to raise awareness in your community.

Key Messages About the Renewal Process

Campaign partner messaging should focus on encouraging people to get ready to renew their Medicaid and CHIP coverage. Messaging should be simple, direct, and informative:

  • Update your contact information. Make sure [Name of State Medicaid or CHIP program] has your current mailing address, phone number, email, or other contact information. This will, they’ll be able to contact you about your Medicaid or CHIP coverage. 
  • Check your mail.  [Name of State Medicaid or CHIP program] will mail you a letter about their Medicaid or CHIP coverage. This letter will also let you know if you need to complete a renewal form to see if  you still qualify for Medicaid or CHIP.  
  • Complete your renewal form (if you get one). Fill out the form and return it to [Name of State Medicaid or CHIP program] right away to help avoid a gap in your Medicaid or CHIP coverage.

Other health care options for families (or family members) that no longer qualify for Medicaid or CHIP 

Individuals or families who no longer qualify for Medicaid or CHIP coverage might be able to buy a health plan through the Health Insurance Marketplaces, including HealthCare.gov. Marketplace plans are affordable, comprehensive, and convenient. 

Tools and Resources to Raise Awareness in Your Community

  • Unwinding Toolkit: CMS developed an Unwinding Toolkit that contains important information for families with Medicaid or CHIP, including steps they need to take to renew their coverage or find other health care options. Materials (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalong, and Vietnamese) include social media posts, sample communications copy, email templates, a drop-in article, and more.  
  • Medicaid Unwinding Toolkit Supporting Materials: These include additional unwinding materials, like post cards, flyers, and tear pads.
  • Medicaid.gov: Visit Medicaid.gov/renewals for more information, including the State Medicaid/CHIP Map, which has contact information for specific state Medicaid and CHIP programs. There’s also contact information for the Marketplace Call Center. 
  • Unwinding Tip Sheet: If someone loses their Medicaid or CHIP coverage, this resource explains three things you can do to help. 

Upcoming Observances:

  • Arthritis Awareness Month (May)
  • Healthy Vision Month (May)
  • Mental Health Awareness Month (May)
  • National Adolescent Health Month (May)
  • National Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month (May)
  • National Foster Care Month (May)
  • Women’s Health Care Month (May)
  • World Asthma Day (May 2)
  • Safety & Health Week (May 4-10)
  • Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week (May 7-13)
  • Mother’s Day (May 14)
  • National Women’s Health Week (May 14-20)
  • Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month (June)
  • National Safety Month (June)
  • Family Health & Fitness Day (June 10)
  • National Children’s Day (June 11)
  • World Blood Donor Day (June 14)
  • Father’s Day (June 18)
  • National PTSD Awareness Day (June 27)

Stay Connected with the Campaign

  • Share our Campaign materials. Our ever-growing Outreach Tool Library features a variety of targeted resources to use in your outreach and enrollment efforts, available in multiple formats and languages.
  • Contact us. To get more involved with the Campaign, contact us via email at ConnectingKids@cms.hhs.gov.
  • Follow the Campaign on Twitter. Remember to re-tweet or share our messages from @IKNGov with your social network and be sure to use our #Enroll365 and #KidsEnroll hashtags in your posts.

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