Hill-Evans joins DHS secretary to highlight Shapiro administration’s updates to Medical Assistance
Rep. Carol Hill-Evans August 9, 2023 | 2:05 PM
YORK, Aug. 9 – State Rep. Carol Hill-Evans joined Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh in York today to discuss how the collaboration between Family First Health and United Health Foundation will help York residents currently receiving Medical Assistance maintain health coverage.
Statewide, local health centers and programs like Family First and United Health are partnering to support Pennsylvanians navigate federal changes to Medicaid and CHIP renewal requirements so they can complete their renewals and stay covered.?
The event was held at Hannah Penn Center, Family First Health’s school-based health center for students at the School District of York.
“The best way to make sure Pennsylvanians maintain health coverage is to give them access to the resources they need, right in their own communities,” Hill-Evans said. “This partnership between Family First and United Health will help make sure that’s the case for residents here in York.”
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals were allowed to remain enrolled in Medicaid without applying for renewal via the “continuous coverage” component of the federal government’s public emergency declaration.
But the continuous coverage requirement ended on March 31 with the conclusion of the declaration. As a result, all Pennsylvanians receiving Medicaid or CHIP must once again complete their annual renewal to determine if they are still eligible.
Renewals will be completed over 12 months through April 2024, usually at a person’s normal time of renewal. Those who are no longer eligible for Medicaid will be referred to other sources of affordable medical coverage, like CHIP and Pennie, the commonwealth’s health insurance marketplace, so they have no lapse in coverage.