NAMD Joins State Associations in Requesting that Congress and the Administration Help States Prepare for the End of the Public Health Emergency

When the federal COVID-19 public health emergency declaration ends, state Medicaid programs will face a number of changes, including the end of “continuous coverage” requirements for current Medicaid members and the end of enhanced federal resources. At this time, states will be also required to redetermine eligibility for their Medicaid members, which will be a complex operational task due to the growth in Medicaid enrollment since March 2020. Currently, the end date of the public health emergency is uncertain, presenting operational and budgetary challenges to states.

NAMD (along with ADvancing States, the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors) sent joint letters asking HHS and Congress to address the challenges states will face when the public health emergency ends. Specifically, NAMD asked that the emergency declaration not end before July 1, 2022; that states are provided with 90 days advance notice before the end of the declaration; and that states are given additional financial resources to conduct redeterminations after the public health emergency ends. These actions will help states smoothly resume normal Medicaid operations at the end of the public health emergency.

NAMD’s letter to Congress can be found here and letter to the Administration can be found here.