From Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN posted on the March 7th NASN All Member Forum:
CALL TO ACTION - Medicaid Unwinding as Public Health Emergency Ends April 1, 2023! PLEASE READ

• The Public Health Emergency (PHE) Unwinding that was announced in fall 2022.

• The date for changes to Medicaid are going to take place starting in just a few weeks.

• States have been submitting their plans to CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and it is anticipated that more than 66% of Americans are not aware that they will lose Medicaid benefits. 

• First Month Unwinding-Related Renewals are Initiated: April

• Effective Date of First Anticipated Terminations for Procedural Reasons*: June

(* This is generally the first month that members who have not had their eligibility successfully renewed in the past 12 months may be disenrolled for procedural reasons, such as non-response to a renewal form, per CMS guidelines. Terminations for individuals the state has redetermined as ineligible for Medicaid and CHIP may occur on or after April 1, 2023.)​

• Sheila Caldwell provided some resources below, but us as school nurses and schools in general need to speak with parents and families about the importance of updating their contact information with the Medicaid program in the state ASAP! Then, be sure to watch their mail for any documents that will be sent in the coming months. They could receive mail as soon as April 1st and if they do not complete the documents or online information, they will be disenrolled!! 

• We already know the challenges for children and families when there is no insurance available to address their health needs. 

• As nurses we can plan major initiatives in our schools and communities to provide awareness about this ASAP!

• Sheila Caldwell has provided some links and resources for you to get an initiative going. Contact your state Medicaid office for any specific state information that you can share. On social media (mainly twitter), if you search "Medicaid unwinding" you will find states hosting listening sessions, sharing flyers, and other information.

• The key to all this is that there are people who need the information in the spaces where it is being conveyed and are they (meaning Medicaid/state officials) thinking of other places and spaces where people with Medicaid might best get the information (eg., table set up in laundromats, supermarkets, churches, schools, etc), where organizations and people as us, nurses can get the information to the people that need it most.

• The online efforts are nice, but some of these families may have limited online access.

• You can contact Sheila Caldwell on the NASN All Member Forum about your efforts to have the families in your communities not fall in the gap and have to totally re-enroll. Please be sure to share your ideas, school newsletter or any news articles of your efforts to address this major issue that will be starting in only weeks!

RESOURCES:​

• Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign 2022 Back-to-School Toolkit (insurekidsnow.gov) - (see one of the info-images below from this toolkit)

• Unwinding and Returning to Regular Operations after COVID-19 | Medicaid

• 10 Things to Know About the Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision | KFF

• Unwinding Toolkit for Schools from the American Association of School Administrators (AASA)

• Unwinding Resources – Center For Children and Families (georgetown.edu)