This post is by Harold J. Phillips, MRP, Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP).

At the end of March, I put out a call to action via video for partners to help people living with HIV avoid gaps in coverage by redetermining eligibility for Medicaid now. April 1st began the start of the Medicaid unwinding period. All states have begun the process to redetermine eligibility for all Medicaid enrollees, including those with HIV. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, states received enhanced federal funding to keep people continuously enrolled in Medicaid. That continuous enrollment period has now come to an end in all states. Some experts estimate that between 5 million and 14 million people will lose Medicaid coverage during the unwinding period. Healthcare coverage gaps are particularly serious for people with HIV.

Action Steps

There are key actions for Medicaid enrollees to take. And, if you work with people with HIV, please make sure you communicate these messages:

  • Please make sure your state Medicaid program has your current contact information.

  • Please make sure to check your mail and open any letters from your Medicaid program.

  • Complete your Medicaid renewal form as soon as you receive it.

  • If you have a Ryan White or other case manager, please work with them to take any needed steps.

Please watch the video at the top of this article (and here on YouTube) to be reminded of key messages and action steps to avoid gaps in coverage.


Resources

Many resources have been developed to assist service providers, Medicaid programs, and beneficiaries to understand this period. Please see below for several key resources:

  • For additional resources on the Medicaid continuous enrollment unwinding period, please visit Medicaid.gov, which includes, for example, toolkits in several languages and states’ timelines (PDF, 92.9KB) for starting the Medicaid unwinding process.

  • The HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) at the Health Resources and Services Administration has also issued a program letter (PDF, 182KB) regarding the Medicaid unwinding process. The letter outlines action items and resources that Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program recipients and subrecipients can use to assist clients to renew or enroll into new health coverage. HAB also has additional resources related to Medicaid unwinding, including an on-demand webinar.

  • The Administration for Community Living published a blog with tips for aging and disability networks.

  • The Kaiser Family Foundation published a brief, 10 Things to Know About the Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision.

This blog post was originally published May 8, 2023, by HIV.gov. It is republished with permission.