Unwinding Medicaid Continuous Coverage

In early 2020, Congress put into place protections for people enrolled in Medicaid to ensure that they were able to stay covered during the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy, called the continuous coverage requirement, was originally linked to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE).

However, an omnibus spending bill enacted in December 2022 severs this link and instead sets March 31, 2023, as the end of the continuous coverage requirement, regardless of whether the PHE remains in effect. States need to “unwind” the continuous coverage requirement by reviewing the eligibility of every person enrolled in Medicaid in the state.

There are a number of challenges Medicaid enrollees could face during the unwinding process, and millions of people are expected to lose their Medicaid coverage as a result. But community outreach, education, and enrollment assistance can help people stay covered.

FAQ: Unwinding Medicaid Continuous Coverage

This FAQ explains how unwinding the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement will work, the challenges Medicaid enrollees may face during the process, and what enrollment assisters can do to help.

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Tips for Community Partners (Available in 8 Languages)

This FAQ explains the basics of Medicaid continuous coverage unwinding and how community-based organizations that do not provide direct enrollment assistance can help. It is available in eight languages: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Russian, and Arabic.