as of October 2022
Background
During the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, states have been required to keep children and adults continuously enrolled in Medicaid without conducting annual eligibility and renewals. When the Public Health Emergency ends, the rules will revert back and states will restart renewals for everyone in their Medicaid programs. This means that individuals enrolled in Medicaid will need to renew their coverage, find an alternate source of coverage or risk becoming uninsured. Once the Public Health Emergency ends, states will provide a 60-day notice to enrollees about the steps they need to take to renew their Medicaid coverage. Some individuals may no longer be eligible for based on changes in their life circumstances, such as a fluctuation in income or how many days they are postpartum.
Mississippi Title X Clinics
It is critical to note that regardless of the income or insurance status of patients, they’re still able to receive free and low-cost family planning care at anyTitle X clinic across Mississippi. When the Public Health Emergency ends, more people may be relying on clinics for their family planning services due to their lack of coverage.
When is this going to happen? The federal government will make the decision about when the Public HealthEmergency will end. We do not know when that will happen, but we anticipate it could be as early as January 2023.
What does this mean for patients?
Many people across Mississippi will need to renew their Medicaid coverage once the Public Health Emergency ends. That means our clinics may be the only source of medical attention for people as they transition to other health coverage or are left without insurance. For our patients and clinics, we will continue to provide free or low-cost, person-centered care regardless of income or insurance status.
How will this affect postpartum care now and in the future?
Over the last few years, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid sent out letters to thousands of new moms across the state of Mississippi that caused confusion and raised concerns about losing coverage. As of today, with the Public Health Emergency ongoing, health coverage for new moms 60 days postpartum is still in effect. Once the Public Health Emergency ends, patients who are more than 60 days postpartum may lose coverage if they’re ineligible based on other criteria.
What if patients are unsure of their Medicaid coverage status?
If a patient has enrolled in Medicaid coverage since March 2020, under the Public Health Emergency, their coverage is still in effect. Patients can call the Mississippi Division of Medicaid at 1-800-421-2408 for questions regarding Medicaid status.
How can patients prepare for this moment?
A lot has changed in the last few years, including people’s home address and contact information. Patients can update their contact information with the Mississippi Division of Medicaid at medicaid.ms.gov or by calling 1-800-421-2408 or 601-359-6050.
Current health providers can find more resources on the Title X resources page.