To ensure that up to 9 million New Yorkers – those covered by State health programs (Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Essential Plan, and the New York State of Health Marketplace qualified plans), who must recertify eligibility at the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, remain covered.
In January 2020, the United States declared a public health emergency and in March of that year enacted historic COVID-19 relief legislation, which included increased Medicaid funding to states, with a continuous coverage requirement that prohibited states from terminating Medicaid enrollees’ coverage. With the public health emergency expected to expire early in 2023, the end of the continuous coverage requirement will require states to reassess eligibility for all enrollees. With no additional federal and state dollars available to support this herculean effort, non-profit organizations need support to develop and implement programs to reach out and inform beneficiaries that they must actively engage in the benefit reassessment process.
Community Service Society of New York (CSS) operates the State’s largest Navigator program and other outreach programs. Under this grant CSS will establish a “hub and spokes” model, working with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), UHF, New York State Health Foundation (NYHealth) and other funders to create a central administrative hub, a re-grant solicitation, and a technical assistance process for providing messaging and communication tools. Regrant funds will be provided to up to 25 community-based organizations (CBOs), which will lead on-the-ground outreach campaigns for consumers in their communities, including texts, phone calls, door-to-door outreach, presentations, social media and videos, and radio and TV announcements. CSS will provide strategic support to the outreach network for the 14-month public health emergency ‘unwind’ period, and will track outreach and enrollment data provided by CBOs. Key resources will include a learning collaborative and online portal with resources for CBOs. CSS will also partner with NYSDOH on a statewide webinar series to mobilize partners, disseminate information about the need for beneficiaries to engage in the eligibility reassessment process, and how to support beneficiaries in maintaining their coverage.
The UHF grant funded portion of the project will help to establish the logistical hub at CSS necessary to distribute funds and provided technical assistance resources to the CBOs to reach New Yorkers and help Keep New York Covered.