Ensuring Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Populations Have Health Insurance

What you can do

• Read this Dear MCH Colleague Letter (PDF - 153 KB) from MCHB Associate Administrator Michael Warren, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP. Share our message with MCH stakeholders who engage with families through home visiting programs, childcare facilities, prenatal and other health care services, community- and faith-based organizations, and other organizations engaging MCH populations. Trusted community partners and health care providers should lead or participate in talking with families.
• Read the Dear Title V and State Medicaid Colleagues Letter (PDF - 266 KB) from HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to learn how to work together so that families can connect to health insurance benefits.
• Use these resources as you talk to families about updating their contact information with their State Medicaid or CHIP programs, checking their mail for a letter from their state, and completing paperwork (if they receive any):
  • Communications Toolkit and Materials (in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese)
  • Medicaid Unwinding Homepage for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updates and resources
  • Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs webinars and regional calls archive, including opportunities for Title V Programs
• Help people who no longer qualify for Medicaid or CHIP apply for health coverage through HealthCare.gov or the Marketplace Call Center (1-800-318-2596).
• Post this flyer (PDF - 1 MB) that reminds professionals how they can take action and help connect people to coverage.

Background information

Waivers put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure people had Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) health coverage ended on March 31, 2023. States are now deciding who still qualifies for coverage and terminating Medicaid enrollment for individuals who no longer qualify. This is a major insurance coverage event for MCH populations, and many people served through HRSA MCHB programs may need help understanding the process and filling out paperwork.

Impacts on MCH populations

• Medicaid and CHIP provide free or low-cost health coverage to 93 million Americans, including children, families, and pregnant women.
• Medicaid covers about 42% of all births in the United States.
• Many U.S. newborns receive necessary follow-up services through Medicaid and CHIP.