The expiration of the continuous enrollment condition authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) presents the single largest health coverage transition event since the first open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act. As a condition of receiving a temporary 6.2 percentage point Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) increase under the FFCRA, states were required to maintain enrollment of nearly all Medicaid enrollees during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, delinked the end of the FFCRA’s Medicaid continuous enrollment condition from the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. As a result, the Medicaid continuous enrollment condition will end on March 31, 2023. States will soon resume normal operations, including restarting full Medicaid and CHIP eligibility renewals and terminations of coverage for individuals who are no longer eligible. Beginning April 1, 2023, states are able to terminate Medicaid enrollment for individuals no longer eligible. States will have up to 12 months to return to normal eligibility and enrollment operations.
For more information about the resumption of Medicaid renewals, read:
- CMS Fact Sheet: Keeping People Covered As States Restart Routine Medicaid Renewals
- CMS Fact Sheet: How You Can Take Action
- CMS Fact Sheet: Monitoring, Oversight, and Assistance to Improve State Systems and Ensure States Meet Federal Requirements
- Infographic: Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Condition Unwinding At-A-Glance
CMS will continue to update this page as additional tools and resources are released.
Guidance (SHOs, CIBs, and FAQs)
- Frequently Asked Questions to Support the Return to Normal Eligibility Operations for Transitional Medical Assistance and Medical Support (Posted 11/22/2023)
- Extension of 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Appendix K Expiration Dates (Posted 08/02/2023)
- FMAP Reduction for Failure to Meet Reporting Requirements under Section 1902(tt)(1) of the Social Security Act FAQs for State Medicaid and CHIP Agencies (Posted 06/30/2023)
- Letter to U.S. Governors from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on Medicaid Redeterminations (Posted 06/12/2023)
- End of the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Condition Frequently Asked Questions for State Medicaid and CHIP Agencies (Posted 05/12/2023)
- Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Condition Changes, Conditions for Receiving the FFCRA Temporary FMAP Increase, Reporting Requirements, and Enforcement Provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Posted 01/31/2023)
- Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Requirement Provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Posted 01/05/2023)
- COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Unwinding Frequently Asked Questions for State Medicaid and CHIP Agencies (Posted 10/17/2022)
- Ending Coverage in the Optional COVID-19 Group: Preparing States for the End of the Public Health Emergency (Posted 10/17/2022)
- Promoting Continuity of Coverage and Distributing Eligibility and Enrollment Workload in Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Basic Health Program (BHP) Upon Conclusion of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (Posted 3/3/2022)
- Updated Guidance Related to Planning for the Resumption of Normal State Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Basic Health Program (BHP) Operations Upon Conclusion of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (Posted 8/13/2021)
- State Health Office Letter: Planning for the Resumption of Normal State Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Basic Health Program (BHP) Operations Upon Conclusion of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (Posted 12/22/2020)
Section 1902(e)(14)(A) Waivers and Other Strategies
- Summary of State Mitigation Strategies for Complying with Medicaid Renewal Requirements
- Strategies to Prevent Procedural Terminations
- COVID-19 PHE Unwinding Section 1902(e)(14)(A) Waiver Approvals
- State Option to Delay Procedural Disenrollments
Data Reporting
Policy & Operational Resources
Renewals, Redeterminations, and Other Program Requirements
- Notice Considerations for Conducting Medicaid & CHIP Renewals at the Individual Level (Posted November 7, 2023)
- Scenarios: The Intersection of Continuous Eligibility and Individual Level Renewal Processes (Posted October 18, 2023)
- Preliminary Overview of State Assessments Regarding Compliance with Medicaid and CHIP Automatic Renewal Requirements at the Individual Level (Posted September 21, 2023)
- State Letter: Ensuring Compliance with Requirements to Conduct Medicaid and CHIP Renewal Requirements at the Individual Level (Posted August 30, 2023)
- Mitigation Plan Template for Ex Parte Renewal Compliance Issues (Posted August 30, 2023)
- Resources to Support State Implementation of Renewal Mitigation Strategies (Posted March 23, 2023)
- Ensuring Continuity of Coverage and Preventing Inappropriate Terminations – Part 2 (Posted August 2021)
- Ensuring Continuity of Coverage and Preventing Inappropriate Terminations – Part 1 (Posted July 2021)
- Ex Part Renewal: Strategies to Maximize Automation, Increase Renewal Rates, and Support Unwinding Efforts (Posted 10/20/2022)
- Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Opportunities to Support Medicaid and SNAP Unwinding Efforts (Posted 11/3/2022)
- Supporting Seamless Coverage Transitions for Children Moving Between Medicaid and CHIP in Separate CHIP States (Posted 12/12/2022)
- CIB: Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Renewal Requirements (Posted 12/4/2020)
- Opportunities to Support Unwinding Efforts for States with Integrated Eligibility Systems and/or Workforces (Posted 9/16/2022)
- Overview of Strategic Approach to Engaging Managed Care Plans to Maximize Continuity of Coverage as States Resume Normal Eligibility and Enrollment Operations (Posted 12/8/2021 and updated 1/6/2023)
- Eligibility & Enrollment Processing for Medicaid, CHIP, and BHP During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Unwinding Key Requirements for Compliance (Posted 5/17/2022)
- Strategic Approaches to Support State Fair Hearings as States Resume Normal Eligibility and Enrollment Operations After the COVID-19 PHE (Posted 4/4/2022)
Best Practices & Strategies to Support Specific Populations
- Presentation: Strategies to Keep Children and Families Covered During Unwinding (Posted 8/11/2023)
- Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Disability and Language Access Requirements Slide Deck (Posted 2/21/2023)
- Presentation: Strengthening Tribal and State Partnerships to Prepare for Unwinding (Posted 8/30/2022)
- Medicaid and CHIP Unwinding Planning Efforts: Summary of Best & Promising State Practices from CMS/State Discussions (Posted 4/4/2022)
- Connecting Kids to Coverage: State Outreach, Enrollment and Retention Strategies issue brief (Posted 11/24/2021)
Planning Tools & Templates
- Anticipated 2023 State Timelines for Initiating Unwinding-Related Renewals (Posted 6/30/2023)
- 60 Day Notice Timeline for States
- Letter to Governors on Unwinding (Posted 5/10/2022)
- General Transition Planning Tool for Restoring Regular Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Operations after Conclusion of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Public Health Emergency (Posted 1/15/2021)
- Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program COVID-19 Health Emergency Eligibility and Enrollment Pending Actions Resolution Planning Tool (Posted 1/15/2021 and updated 3/3/2022)
- Strategies States and U.S. Territories Can Adopt to Maintain Coverage of Eligible Individuals as they Return to Normal Operations (Posted 11/24/2021)
- Top 10 Fundamental Actions to Prepare for Unwinding and Resources to Support State Efforts (Posted 06/02/2022)
- Program Integrity Considerations for Restoring State Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Operations Upon Conclusion of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Systems Resources
- Systems Readiness Artifacts Refresher (Posted 1/6/2023)
- Improving Efficiency and Beneficiary/Staff Experience Through Improved Renewal Automation For Unwinding (Posted 12/02/2022)
- Resources to Support System and Logic Testing for Unwinding (Posted 09/30/2022)
Communications Resources and Speaking Requests
Medicaid/Marketplace Coordination Resources
- State Based Exchange (SBE) Priority Metrics: Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Continuous Enrollment Condition Unwinding Overview and Template (Posted 5/26/2023)
- Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Condition Unwinding Marketplace Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Companion Resource (Posted 5/26/2023)
- Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Condition Unwinding Marketplace Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (Posted 5/18/2023)
- Overview of Federal Marketplace Assister Outreach and Consumer Engagement Strategies (05/18/2023)
- New Federal Marketplace Reminder Letter Templates – See “Loss of Medicaid/CHIP Reminder Letters” in English or Spanish (05/18/2023)
- Temporary Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for Consumers Losing Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Coverage Due to Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Condition – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (Posted 01/31/2023)
- FFM Inbound Account Transfer Matching Functionality Slide Deck (Posted 10/25/2022)
- Strategies for SBMs to Improve Medicaid to Marketplace Coordination and Maximize Enrollee Transitions at the End of the Continuous Enrollment Requirement
- Addressing Medicaid and CHIP Procedural Terminations in States that Operate a State-Based Marketplace with Account Transfers (PDF, 448.22 KB) (Posted 6/30/2022)
- CIB: Coordination of Eligibility and Enrollment between Medicaid, CHIP and the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM or “Marketplace”) (Posted 7/25/2016)
State Technical Resource Guide for FFM Assessment & Determination States
- Overview: State Medicaid/CHIP Agencies Accepting Federally-facilitated Marketplace Eligibility Decisions
- Operational Implementation: State Medicaid/CHIP
- Additional Resources:
CMCS Medicaid and CHIP All State Calls
In March of 2020, CMCS launched a regular All State Call series to bring the latest information available to support states and territories as they respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and prepare for unwinding of COVID-19 flexibilities.
Partner Education on Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Enrollment Unwinding Webinars
- For more information and updates on renewing Medicaid and CHIP health coverage, attend our monthly partner education webinars on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 12:00 - 1:00pm ET. Register for upcoming webinars.
- Find recordings, transcripts, and slides from past webinars on the CMS National Stakeholder Calls webpage.
- Are you looking for an HHS or CMS representative to speak about Medicaid and CHIP renewals? Fill out this Speaking Request Form to have someone from HHS or CMS speak at an upcoming event.