Over the past year, much has happened in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that has changed how families apply for or renew public health insurance for their children.
Last spring, Pennsylvania began the process of unwinding from the Medicaid continuous coverage provision, which prohibited states from disenrolling individuals during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Once the provision expired, states resumed the process of Medicaid renewals to determine whether enrollees still qualify for coverage.
Coming on the heels of the Medicaid unwinding, DHS moved forward with an IT eligibility systems transition that shifted the process of applications and renewals from CHIP MCOs to DHS County Assistance Offices (CAOs). CHIP families and all new enrollees must go through DHS to determine who qualifies for CHIP instead of their health insurance plans.
What hasn’t changed is that Medicaid and CHIP continue to offer comprehensive health coverage, including access to medications, well-child visits, vaccinations, and more for children in every community across the Commonwealth.
The three fact sheets in this series show enrollment by Congressional, state House, and state Senate districts:
