In lieu of a Pennie Community Workgroup (PCW) webinar for July, we are sending this newsletter with updates and information on Pennie’s current and upcoming initiatives.

Learn more below:

Medicaid and CHIP Renewal Update:

• From March 2020 through March 2023, Medicaid programs could not disenroll anyone enrolled in Medicaid, also known as Medical Assistance (MA).
• Starting April 2023, the Department of Human Services (DHS) has begun redetermining eligibility for all current Medicaid enrollees. Redeterminations will be spread out over 12 months. This 12-month period of time is sometimes referred to as the Medicaid Unwinding period.
• Many current Medicaid enrollees are expected to lose MA coverage during their redetermination. DHS will automatically send any individuals whose income is too high for MA over to Pennie to see if they qualify for affordable coverage through Pennie.
• Pennie is designed to pick up where Medicaid leaves off. If someone makes too much to stay enrolled in Medicaid, chances are they may be eligible for affordable marketplace coverage through Pennie.
• Important: anyone losing Medicaid because they are over-income should be sure to enroll through Pennie within 60 days to avoid a gap in coverage.

Pennie’s Current Communication & Outreach Initiatives:

• We are continuing to contact customers who recently lost their Medicaid coverage through various communications including via direct notices/mailers, emails, and priority outbound calls through our Customer Service Center and soon through texting – read more below.
• For customers who lost their Medicaid coverage due to not responding to their DHS renewal packet, we are continuing to contact them via mailers, emails and outbound calls.
• Pennie and DHS partnered together by holding 9 press conferences in communities across PA to raise awareness of the Unwinding and of assistance available through Pennie.
• Pennie’s advertisement and media campaign went live targeting lower-income households, vulnerable populations, and non-English speaking audiences. 
• Pennie’s outreach activities include ongoing with partnerships from the enrollment Assister network and the YMCA health equity tour. Visit an upcoming event!  See full schedule here. Any Pennie-Certified Assister or Broker interested in participating in YMCA Health Equity Tour event, can contact the YMCA tour team at tour@ymcaharrisburg.org.

Stakeholder Resources:

For more details on Medicaid Renewals and Unwinding, please refer to recent Pennie Community Workgroup sessions including February 2023 & March 2023 & April 2023
 

National Data on Unwinding:

The Kaiser Family Foundation recently completed a survey of Medicaid enrollees to understand their preparedness for the Medicaid renewal process, and what to do if they lose Medicaid coverage. 

• About 1 in 4 adults (27%) with Medicaid as their only source of coverage said they wouldn’t know where to look for coverage if they were no longer eligible for Medicaid.
• An additional 15% said they would be uninsured if they were not longer eligible for Medicaid.
• Nearly half of Medicaid enrollees say they have not previously been through the Medicaid renewal process.

The Unwinding of Medicaid Continuous Enrollment: Knowledge and Experiences of Enrollees | KFF

This report shows that we need your help spreading the word!  Pennie should be the first stop if a customer is losing health coverage, especially those losing Medicaid!

New Communication Tactic for Customers Losing Medicaid – Texting!

• Starting in July, Pennie will be texting those found ineligible for Medicaid.
• These texts will be sent up to four times throughout a customer’s 120-day Special Enrollment Period (SEP) encouraging them to enroll in coverage through Pennie before the end of their shopping period.
• Customers have the ability to opt-out of texts by replying “STOP” to any message.

We Are Hiring

ATTENTION: Pennie-Certified Assisters and Brokers!

• Broker recertification training will be available in mid-August 2023
• Complete recertification no later than October 31, 2023 to continue as a Pennie-certified broker through 2024.

Why this Matters

• Failure to complete recertification by the deadline will result in loss of certification and loss of your Pennie book of business. To become certified again, you would need to complete the longer New Broker Certification course, instead of the more streamlined Recertification course.

If you are interested in becoming a Pennie-Certified Broker, visit New Broker Certification (pennie.com).
 
2024 Assister Recertification training is coming soon!

• Assister Recertification training will be available in the Fall of 2023 and must be completed on or before October 31, 2023.

Why this Matters

• Current Assisters who do not complete their Pennie Assister Training will be de-certified and unable to assist customers in 2024.

If you are interested in becoming a Pennie-Certified Assister, visit Assisters (pennie.com)

Reminder! Be Sure to Follow Us on Social:

Check out our social sites for more information on the next stops on the Pennie and YMCA Health Equity Tour!