Congress Passes Funding Bill With Big Updates for Texas Enrollees Ending Date Set for Medicaid Continuous Coverage Since March 2020, Texans have been able to keep their Medicaid because of the COVID Public Health Emergency (PHE). Disenrollments have been paused during the PHE, and the PHE has been repeatedly extended in 3 month periods. Congress passed a new funding bill at the end of 2022 that delinks the Medicaid continuous coverage from the PHE and ends continuous coverage in Medicaid on March 21, 2023. While the PHE may continue, disenrollments in Medicaid can begin on April 1, 2023. To help clients prepare, they should:
- Sign up for an account at YourTexasBenefits.com or on the Your Texas Benefits mobile app.
- Report any changes to contact information to ensure any notices are received.
- Return renewal packets or requests for information as soon as possible.
12-Month Continuous Eligibility Requirement for Kids After years of advocacy on the issue, Medicaid 12-month continuous coverage for kids was included in the recent Congressional funding bill. This will help kids in Texas Medicaid get access to their health benefits for a full year — just like kids in CHIP — and reduce paperwork. This requirement will go into effect January 2024. SNAP Emergency Allotments Slated to End Since April 2020, families with SNAP benefits have been receiving an extra boost- a minimum $95 in monthly food benefits. As part of the funding bill, February 2023 is the last month in which families will receive this extra help. Starting in March 2023 all Texas SNAP recipients will see a $95 minimum decrease in SNAP benefits — some households may see much higher reductions. This will be a significant loss of food assistance for the 3.6 million Texans who participate in SNAP, leaving many to struggle to afford nutritious food and pay other bills. The loss is coming on top of a sharp increase in the cost of food and utilities, which has already led to an increase in people seeking emergency food from food banks. Without the SNAP Emergency Allotment, benefits are calculated based on household size, income, and expenses. Texans should report up-to-date information as soon as possible so that they are receiving all benefits for which they are eligible. Feeding Texas has developed a toolkit with more information and shareable resources to alert families of the changes and how to seek help. HHSC’s Ambassador Toolkit includes great information available in English and Spanish for both Medicaid and SNAP. |
