By: Michelle Yiu
Executive Summary
During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), laws were enacted that allowed people to keep their Medicaid coverage even if they had changes to their eligibility, such as income or family size. This “continuous coverage” requirement ended on March 31, 2023, and as of April 1, 2023, state agencies are restarting eligibility reviews of Medicaid beneficiaries during the “unwinding” of continuous coverage. This means that some beneficiaries may no longer meet eligibility requirements and could lose their Medicaid coverage. For individuals who lose Medicaid during the unwinding, there are health coverage options to stay covered. This fact sheet covers five options to stay covered: (1) transition to Marketplace coverage, (2) transition to employer-sponsored insurance, (3) transition to Medicare, (4) transition to separate CHIP program, and (5) appeal Medicaid coverage termination.
