COVID-19 Public Health Emergency to Expire

If you signed up for Medicaid during the pandemic – after February 2020 – you need to reconfirm your eligibility.

• Make sure your state has your latest contact information so they can send you renewal information.
• The state of Kansas has begun sending renewal letters to members. Missouri will send electronic communications to members beginning June 1, directing members to its current online portal.

Renewal forms will ask members to update their eligibility information, including income, household size and employment status. You can learn more about renewals here or visit your state’s Medicaid site. For most patients at the health system, this will be Kansas or Missouri.

Visit HealthCare.gov to search for a plan that is right for you and check if you qualify for assistance with premiums. Watch for a special enrollment period from March 31, 2023, through July 31, 2024, for those losing Medicaid coverage due to the PHE expiration.

We are here to help. The health system recommends Enroll365, an excellent resource for finding affordable health insurance coverage. Additionally, our patient financial advisors are committed to supporting you. Call us at 913-588-7850 or email us at FinancialCounselor@KUMC.edu. We will help patients understand the change, find appropriate coverage and maintain access to care.

In addition to considering premium costs, select a plan for which The University of Kansas Health System is in-network. If you choose an out-of-network plan, you may be unable to get care with our providers, or you may be responsible for a higher percentage of costs of care here. This will be especially important for patients who live in Missouri. Call us at 913-588-7850 or email FinancialCounselor@KUMC.edu for assistance finding an in-network plan.

Yes. After the expiration, Medicaid members will need to begin regularly verifying their Medicaid eligibility. Before the pandemic, states consistently checked the eligibility of Medicaid members to continue coverage month to month. For example, if a covered member began earning more money or became eligible for health insurance through their employer, they might become ineligible for Medicaid. These enrollment checks were paused with the PHE and will resume after the May 11 expiration. Medicaid members must begin completing these checks after the May 11 expiration to maintain Medicaid coverage.

PHE legislation included telehealth flexibilities designed to ensure safe healthcare during the pandemic. Most of these changes will continue beyond the May 11 emergency expiration, extending through 2024. For example:

• Patients may still connect to telehealth appointments from any location, including their homes.
• Care providers eligible to provide telehealth services will continue to include audiologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech-language pathologists.
• Federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics will still be authorized to provide telehealth services.

The PHE declared at the start of the pandemic provided full government coverage for the cost of COVID-19 testing and treatment. After the PHE expiration, healthcare costs related to COVID-19 will be calculated as for any other medical condition. Patients should expect cost responsibilities to be consistent with their insurance plans, such as copays or coinsurance cost-sharing. Out-of-pocket costs to patients will vary based on insurance coverage.