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Ambassador Toolkit – Member and Provider Communications Before the COVID-19 PHE Ends

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The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has developed a communication campaign called Don’t Wait, Respond and Update! to educate clients regarding the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). In this article, the Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) is providing details of this campaign and key information to the provider community about how to support it.

Background

The federal government declared a PHE on January 27, 2020, and Congress later passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). In order for states to qualify for enhanced federal funding under FFCRA, they must continue coverage through the end of the PHE for Medicaid recipients who are otherwise ineligible and would have lost Medicaid coverage.

Though the timing is unknown, the federal government may soon allow states to discontinue coverage of Medicaid recipients who would have lost coverage if not for the PHE. Using data from December 2021, HHSC estimates that approximately 3.7 million Medicaid members will need to have their Medicaid eligibility redetermined when continuous coverage ends. As of the time this notice is published, HHSC does not know when the federal PHE will end. To prepare providers and members for the ending of the PHE and the potential end of continuous Medicaid coverage, the Don’t Wait, Respond and Update! campaign is designed to give providers information and language to use for this purpose.

The Ambassador Toolkit

In order to prepare for ending continuous Medicaid coverage, HHSC requests that providers support the Don’t Wait, Respond and Update! campaign by communicating with Medicaid members and by incorporating campaign materials into the providers’ clinics, offices, agencies, and organizations.

Providers can refer to the End of Continuous Medicaid Coverage Ambassador Toolkit for resources to use to help members, providers, health plans, and advocates prepare for the end of continuous Medicaid coverage. HHSC approval is not needed to use or distribute any materials or language included in the End of Continuous Medicaid Coverage Ambassador Toolkit.

HHSC is providing the following information to members, providers, health plans, and advocates in the End of Continuous Medicaid Coverage Ambassador Toolkit:

Additional information about how your patients’ Medicaid coverage may be impacted by the end of the COVID-19 PHE can be found in this Provider Information Sheet.

The most important information for providers to give to Medicaid recipients about the end of the PHE details the actions that recipients can take now to prepare, including:

  • Updating their contact information with HHSC so that HHSC can reach them at their current address and phone number to determine if they are eligible to receive services.
  • Creating a YourTexasBenefits online account or downloading the YourTexasBenefits mobile application to get up-to-date information from HHSC, report changes to their information, and respond to requests from HHSC.

For more information, call the TMHP Contact Center at 800-925-9126.