Medicaid Coverage Changes Are Coming- How Providers Can Assist Their Patients and What Steps Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) is taking to Help Members

Date: March 17, 2023

Attention: All Providers

Coverage change effective date: April 1, 2023

Call to action: As you may know, the Medicaid and/or CHIP coverage rules will soon be changing and all members will need to go through the process to determine their eligibility for coverage. Beginning, April 1, 2023, some of our members will be required to renew their Medicaid and/or CHIP coverage or risk losing their plan and access to healthcare. Others will have to go through this process later in 2023 and will be informed of the process and dates to renew

Your assistance is crucial to helping your patients maintain coverage if they are eligible. The timeline to complete the application process is limited. Those members informed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) that they must submit an application in April 2023 will lose their benefits in June 2023 if they do not complete the application process.

TCHP is always available to assist members with their renewals.

From our website- we have lots of resources available on our website at https://www.texaschildrenshealthplan.org/get-covered/renew-my-plan.
If a member would like to request renewal assistance they can go to https://tch-redcap.texaschildrens.org/REDCap/surveys/?s=NDHHKC4XPW and enter their information to connect with our application assistance team. Assistance in multiple languages is available.
Call TCHP toll-free 1-800-990-8247 (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

Background information: On Thursday, December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA, 2023) was enacted. The CAA ended the auto-renewals for Medicaid. It did not, however, state the end date of the COVID-19 public health emergency. That is still in effect as of January 2023.

How will your patients know it is time for their renewal? Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will contact members who need to renew their coverage. They will send mail correspondence with specific directions and timing for each individual. It is important that members check their mail. Additionally, TCHP will send correspondence to our members via postal mail and email encouraging that they take action. More global communication will include social media posts and member newsletter articles with resources to help members maintain their coverage.

How can providers assist their patients, our members with maintaining their health coverage?

By offering the following resources.

Encourage your patients to update their information if they have moved, had a baby or changed jobs recently through Your Texas Benefits. Patients should visit YourTexasBenefits.com or call 2-1-1, option 2, to update their information.
Inform your patients to be prepared and direct them to resources that explain how to renew for CHIP or MEDICAID coverage: Please share the links below to help them get more information

Patients need to know:

2. Complete the renewal process:

Online: yourtexasbenefits.com

Mail: Texas Health and Human Services Commission PO Box 149024 Austin, TX 78714-9968

Phone: 2-1-1 (Press Option 2)

Renewal Assistance: To schedule an appointment call 1-888-559-7526

3. Get Approved:

Applicants should receive notice within 45 business days of receiving your application, 15 days for pregnant women. Call 2-1-1 (Press Option 2) or visit yourtexasbenefits.com to check the status of an application.

Renewing Medicaid Resources

Your patients should use the following guides to renew their medical coverage:

Additional resource: Provider information sheet:https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/provider-info-sheet.pdf

If you have any questions, please email Provider Relations at: providerrelations@texaschildrens.org.

For access to all provider alerts, log into:www.thecheckup.org or www.texaschildrenshealthplan.org/for-providers.