Medicaid & The Budget: Explained
The Georgetown Center for Children and Families released an issue brief explaining the Medicaid and CHIP provisions included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed into law on December 29. The new law delinks the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement from the COVID-19 public health emergency and starts unwinding continuous coverage after March 31, 2023. The Act requires all states to provide 12 months of continuous eligibility for children in both Medicaid and CHIP beginning January 1, 2024. It also extends federal funding for CHIP for an additional two years, makes permanent a state option to provide 12 months postpartum coverage in Medicaid and CHIP, significantly increases federal Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico and the other territories over the next five years, and institutes several Medicaid and CHIP improvements related to mental health and juvenile justice.