Scranton, PA - Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Acting Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh joined Geisinger President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jaewon Ryu today for a visit to Geisinger’s Fresh Food Farmacy and 65 Forward program to remind Pennsylvanians of the upcoming end of pandemic flexibilities for Medicaid and CHIP coverage. Secretary Arkoosh stressed the importance of partnerships as these changes begin, highlighting how the Shapiro Administration and health systems are coming together to support Pennsylvanian, protect their health and keep them covered.
“With the return to pre-pandemic renewal requirements on April 1, everyone who receives their health coverage through the state will need to complete a renewal at some point in the next year,” said Acting Secretary Arkoosh. “We need to make sure that any Pennsylvanians who receive health coverage through the state know about these upcoming changes to our Medicaid and CHIP programs so they can stay covered. They must keep their contact information up to date with DHS, watch for information about their renewal, and when it is their turn, complete their Medicaid or CHIP renewal on time to stay covered.”
To help combat the effects of the benefit decrease on the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget proposes a 50% increase in the minimum SNAP benefit for households with seniors or individuals with disabilities, as well as providing universal free breakfast to all children in public school.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal public health emergency over the last three years allowed individuals to continue to remain enrolled in Medicaid even if they became ineligible, except in certain circumstances. This is also known as the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement. In December 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 into law, effectively ending the continuous coverage requirement on March 31, 2023. Beginning April 1, all Pennsylvanians receiving Medicaid or CHIP must once again complete their annual renewal when it is due to maintain health coverage.
No one will lose Medicaid or CHIP coverage without an opportunity to renew their coverage. Renewals will be completed over a 12-month period, with renewals due in April 2023 the first to be affected by the end of continuous coverage. If a person is found ineligible for coverage or does not complete their renewal on time, their Medicaid coverage will end. Pennsylvanians who are no longer eligible for Medicaid will be referred to other sources of affordable medical coverage, like CHIP and Pennie®, so they have no lapse in quality, affordable health care.
Pennsylvanians can update their contact information, report changes in their personal circumstances, or check their renewal date:
Online at www.dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS
Via the free myCOMPASS PA Mobile App
By calling 1-877-395-8930 (215-560-7226 if they live in Philadelphia)
By calling 1-800-986-KIDS (5437) if they are currently enrolled in CHIP
Pennie® is Pennsylvania’s official health insurance marketplace and the only place to get financial assistance to help lower the cost of high-quality coverage and care. Those who are no longer eligible for Medicaid coverage can apply for coverage through pennie.com, and some individuals will have their information securely transferred from Medicaid or CHIP for an easier enrollment process. Pennie provides personalized, unbiased support and expertise virtually, over the phone, or in-person and in one’s preferred language. Customers can simply call Pennie Customer Service at 1-844-844-8040 or find Pennie-certified pros at pennie.com/connect. Anyone who looked at options through the health insurance marketplace in years past should look again. Pennie is tailored to Pennsylvanians and now has more plan options, lower costs, and better coordination with the Medicaid and CHIP programs.
“With upcoming changes across Pennsylvania, Geisinger is here to for the community just as we have been for more than 100 years,” said Jaewon Ryu, MD, JD, Geisinger’s president and CEO. “For those previously covered through Medicaid and who will now need to seek new health insurance, we are here for you. It is always our goal to make better health easier for the communities we serve. We’re proud to offer Pennsylvanians a variety of plans to meet their needs, including our Geisinger Marketplace or Pennie plans.”
In addition to changes to Medicaid renewals, those who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits saw a decrease in payments this month due to the end of federal pandemic-era policy. Since early 2020, SNAP recipients have been receiving an extra payment every month, but SNAP recipients will now receive just one SNAP payment in March and moving forward. All SNAP households will lose a minimum of $95 a month in SNAP benefits with a statewide average impact of $181 per household. Additionally, a recent change to Social Security Income following the 2023 cost of living adjustment will cause some seniors and people with disabilities to experience, on average, a further $40 decrease in monthly benefits due to the end of SNAP Emergency Allotments.
Geisinger’s Fresh Food Farmacy serves patients diagnosed with diabetes and who are food insecure. Individuals are given a “prescription” or referral by their Geisinger primary care physician and receive more than 20 hours of diabetes education and access to the Fresh Food Farmacy app, which includes healthy recipes and nutrition information. Patients receive enough food to prepare healthy, nutritious meals for their whole family, twice a day for five days, or 10 meals per week.
“As a practicing physician, I worked with so many people who needed a grocery store in their neighborhood as much or more than they needed a doctor. Pennsylvanians deserve the inherent dignity of not only being able to put food on the table for their families, but going to the doctor when they need it,” said Acting Secretary Arkoosh. “I urge SNAP and Medicaid recipients to make sure that their contact information and household information is up to date with DHS so that we can ensure you’re getting the maximum SNAP benefit, and we can send you the information you need about your health coverage renewal.”
To learn more about the end of SNAP extra payments and resources in your community, visit www.dhs.pa.gov/SNAPCares.
To learn more about Medicaid and CHIP renewals and access educational resources, visit www.dhs.pa.gov/phe.
For more information on health insurance options available to Pennsylvanians, visit www.pa.gov/health-insurance.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brandon Cwalina - ra-pwdhspressoffice@pa.gov
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