CMS recently released a toolkit for clinical offices and health care settings with patient-centered messaging regarding the unwinding of the Medicaid continuous enrollment requirement. The toolkit includes helpful information on how health care providers can share information on Medicaid and CHIP renewals with patients.

The toolkit starts with suggestions on what various staff members within the health care setting – from the front desk to clinicians to back-office administrators – can do to spread the word about Medicaid and CHIP renewals, the importance of returning renewal forms, and how to get help in renewing. It links to flyers, postcards, and fact sheets that can be used in waiting rooms and at check-in desks, as well as educational videos that can play on closed-circuit TVs in waiting rooms.

The FAQs may particularly help clinicians and support staff answer questions patients may have. The toolkit includes phone/hold messages, no reply text messages and push notifications for patient portals, and e-newsletters.

As we face the stark realization that Medicaid disenrollment, currently over 11 million (including 2.5 million children), is likely to surpass disenrollment projections of 15-18 million people, we must double down on outreach and reconnecting eligible individuals with coverage. Soon CCF will be posting new resources showing what the kinds of outreach efforts states use to promote Medicaid. It’s not focused on unwinding-related outreach, and instead looks at general outreach efforts by states. So, stay tuned for more!