10 Texas Groups Urge State to Prepare for End of Public Health Emergency

Ten organizations recently wrote to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) regarding the state’s preparation for conducting millions of Medicaid renewals at the end of the federal Public Health Emergency.

The letter says: 

“We anticipate that the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) will be extended past its current expiration date of April 16, 2022, but that it will likely expire this year. When it does, HHSC will face the complex and unprecedented task of reviewing eligibility for most Texans with Medicaid coverage, the vast majority of whom are children in low-income families. 

“We stand ready to collaborate with HHSC on this critical task with the shared goals of 1) maintaining coverage for children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and parents who are still eligible for Medicaid to prevent gaps in care; and 2) smoothly transitioning children and new mothers who are no longer eligible for Medicaid to other coverage like CHIP, Healthy Texas Women, or Marketplace insurance.”

The letter goes on to outline specific recommendations to HHSC in the following three areas:  

• Leverage efficiencies and flexibility to ease HHSC eligibility workforce burdens

• Improve access to 2-1-1 option 2 and ease burdens on it

• Maximize client outreach via text

The letter also notes that the 10 organizations are “concerned about the timeline proposed for initiating and completing renewals” under the state’s recently released plan for the end of the PHE.

The letter was signed by the following organizations:

• Children’s Defense Fund - Texas

• Every Texan

• Texans Care for Children

• Texas Association of Community Health Centers

• Texas Association of Community Health Plans

• Texas Association of Health Plans

• Texas Hospital Association

• Texas Medical Association

• Texas Pediatric Society

• Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition