Federal Government Extends PHE, Keeps Medicaid Eligibility Reviews on Pause until Mid-October

On July 15, the Biden Administration announced the official extension of the federal public health emergency (PHE) through October 13, 2022. During the PHE, state Medicaid agencies are required to continue health care coverage for all medical assistance programs, even if someone’s eligibility changes. To ensure all Georgia Medicaid recipients are informed when their coverage needs to be redetermined, the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) and Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) continue to urge Medicaid recipients to update their account information and communication preferences.

Over the past two months, the state agencies have engaged with Medicaid recipients via text message and social media, directing them to the Georgia Gateway website where they can review and update their personal information, including phone number, address, job or income, and the number of people in their household. DHS and DCH urge clients to go paperless and select the email communication option for the fastest alerts about their coverage.

DHS plans to open an additional 108 offices across the state between August and November 2022 to allow more face-to-face interactions with enrollees ahead of the federal PHE expiration. Twenty-six locations will open on August 15, 20 on September 15, 26 on October 17, and 36 on November 1.

For more information and details on next steps, please visit the new Medicaid unwinding resource hub on the DHS website. It is updated regularly with important news, resources, and planning documents.