Dear Deborah, 

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, states were required to keep people enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to ensure that no one lost health insurance during the public health emergency. States began unwinding this provision in early April, meaning that all Medicaid and CHIP recipients must complete a renewal application to see if they still qualify for coverage. ​​​​​​​

Fortunately, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and Pennie, Pennsylvania's health insurance marketplace, are working together to ensure that Pennsylvanians keep access to health coverage, either through Medicaid, CHIP, or an affordable, high-quality plan through Pennie. The Inflation Reduction Act extended the enhanced subsidies for plans offered through Pennie so that more people can save even more on their coverage.

Here's how it works:

Anyone enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP will go through a coverage renewal process between April 2023 and April 2024. Once you receive your renewal packet, make sure to respond. Then, there are two paths towards coverage:

By following the steps above after your renewal period, you can make sure that you avoid any gap in health coverage. For more information, here are some helpful links:

Access to quality affordable health coverage is a necessity for every Pennsylvanian, and I'm glad that the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and Pennie have come together to make this transition as easy as possible for families across our Commonwealth.

Sincerely,

Bob Casey