The following websites offer support and information for parents:

 

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

 

Pennsylvania’s Children’s Health Insurance Program: All uninsured children and teens not eligible for Medical Assistance have access to health insurance, regardless of income. Many will receive insurance for free; others will receive insurance at a minimal cost.

 

 

The Shapiro Administration, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, and Pennie® need your help to keep Pennsylvanians connected to life-sustaining health coverage. 

Due to a change in federal law that took effect April 1, Medicaid recipients must complete annual renewals to maintain their coverage. This is a change from rules put in place during the pandemic which allowed individuals to remain enrolled on Medicaid even if they became ineligible based on regular eligibility criteria, except in rare circumstances. For additional background on this topic, visit DHS’ website at www.dhs.pa.gov/StayCovered.

No one will automatically lose coverage without the opportunity to complete a renewal or update their case. Renewal dates are unique to each individual, and all Medicaid recipients will need to go through a renewal process in the next 12 months to determine if they are still eligible. In some cases, DHS will be able to complete this renewal automatically. If DHS cannot complete an automatic renewal, we will mail recipients a renewal packet that must be completed and returned.

The Shapiro Administration needs your help to educate people you work with about the upcoming renewal period and the need to complete Medicaid renewals on time.

By completing their renewal on time, Medicaid recipients can either maintain Medicaid coverage or be directly connected to affordable coverage through Pennie®, Pennsylvania’s health and dental insurance marketplace, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) if they have children under age 19. Even if a person does not think they are eligible for Medicaid anymore, completing their renewal is essential to avoiding a disruption in coverage or care.

DHS and Pennie have collaborated on a toolkit available at www.dhs.pa.gov/phe, which includes information about the upcoming changes and key messages. These resources can be used at any time, but we encourage you to share the following pieces from the General Information section of the toolkit now to help people prepare:

• Print – Medicaid & CHIP renewal flyers
• Print – Renewals are coming
• Social media – Renewals are coming
• Newsletter – Renewals are coming (text)
• Newsletter – Update Information (text)

The Shapiro-Davis Administration stands ready to help Pennsylvanians through this period, and we remain steadfast in our goal to protect the health and wellbeing of Pennsylvanians by keeping them covered. Thank you for your support in this work!