The End of the PHE: Medicaid Redetermination in RI

The Office of Health and Human Services and the Department of Health are asking for your assistance in reaching community members on Medicaid, so we can mitigate the number of people who could become uninsured this year.

During the pandemic’s Public Health Emergency (PHE), anyone on Medicaid automatically had their benefits renewed and did not have to undergo their regular redetermination of eligibility. This process, called “continuous enrollment”, will now be ending March 31, 2023 and Rhode Islanders will again need to begin recertifying for their benefits. You can learn more about this process here. Certain priority groups, like children, will remain enrolled in their coverage automatically.

The most important thing Medicaid enrollees can do right now is to update their contact information so that Rhode Island Medicaid can send the notices and information they need to keep or transition their health insurance. With more than 350,000 distinct individuals enrolled in Medicaid in Rhode Island, we hope that you can help us with this effort. 

Please join us for this multi-part series as we bring you information, timelines, data, opportunities for engagement, and a forum for questions. The 2/9/23 agenda is below and agendas for the 3/9/23 and 4/6/23 meetings will be added later. You are also invited to forward this series to colleagues, community health workers, outreach workers, and others in public health and healthcare who may find it valuable.

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2/9 Meeting – Situation Recap and becoming a Certified Application Counselor  

In the 2/9 session we will have a situation recap from the RI Executive Office of Health and Human Services followed by a presentation from RI Health Center Association on how agencies and individuals can become Certified Application Counselors (CACs). CACs are trained and accredited individuals that are authorized to help community members navigate HealthSourceRI and obtaining Medicaid in the State of Rhode Island. These CACs, or Navigators, will have a critical role in supporting those on Medicaid with the redetermination process.

11:00am- Blaise Rein, RIDOH, welcome to group and cover agenda

11:05am- 11:20am, Kilah Walters-Clinton, Director Race, Equity, and Community Engagement, EOHHS,   

• Situation update
• What is Medicaid redetermination?  
• Who is going to be impacted? Who will not be impacted? 
• What is the timeline?  
• What is being done already by EOHHS, DHS, and RIDOH? 
• Provide schedule upcoming info sessions and forums 
• Recap on promo materials
• Share RI geographic data

11:20am-11:30am Questions and Discussion 

11:30am- 11:45am Shelly Sousa, Program Manager for Statewide Assisters Network Services, RI Health Center Association 

• Presentation on how organizations can apply and become accredited as Certified Application Counselor agencies 
• Provide info on training for organization members to become Navigators/Certified Application Counselor 
• Share a tool on how to find a Navigator near you

11:45am-11:55am Questions and Discussion 

11:55am-12:00pm Close out with tools and next steps

Join Zoom Meeting

https://riema.zoom.us/j/96357283703

Meeting ID: 963 5728 3703

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