This month’s advocacy update focuses on work reporting requirements in Medicaid, which Connecticut will have to implement by Jan. 1 under HR 1, the federal law passed last year. State officials are doing a lot now to get ready – while awaiting federal guidance. There’s a lot of room for advocacy, monitoring, and communication – the focus of these resources.
What federal policy changes will do to coverage and affordability
Affordability is on everyone’s minds right now. The Healthcare Value Hub recently hosted a webinar on how coverage and affordability will be affected by the coming changes in federal policy under HR 1. The webinar includes a comprehensive look at what’s changing for Medicaid and the health insurance marketplaces, as well as survey data on affordability burdens faced by people who get their coverage through Medicaid or the marketplaces.
>>> Watch the webinar and/or download the slides
Monitoring work reporting requirements: do’s and don’ts
More than 100,000 people are at risk of losing health care coverage when the Medicaid work reporting requirements take effect in January. It will be critical to have data to know how widespread coverage losses are and to pinpoint specific problems. The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) published a guide for advocates and states to develop an effective, transparent monitoring system to understand the effect of these new requirements.
How states are communicating about work reporting requirements
In the next few months, states will be required to let Medicaid members know about the new work reporting requirements. The Georgetown Center for Children and Families has pulled together the information that states have made available so far, and highlighted some standouts.
>>> Read what we know so far about state outreach materials
>>> See what each state is doing
Simplify your language when talking about work reporting requirements
Medicaid and the federal law are complicated enough; the least we can do is talk about them in the clearest way possible. To help, State Health & Value Strategies released a guide for talking about work reporting requirements, with recommended terms and suggestions on how to provide clear explanations.
How states are implementing work reporting requirements
KFF recently released two helpful resources that provide a state-by-state look at how officials are implementing the new work reporting requirements. This report looks at policy decisions that states have made (you can see Connecticut details on page 3). This brief provides state-by-state information on Medicaid eligibility, enrollment, and renewal policies, which can have a big influence on how hard or easy it is for people to get and stay covered.
>>> Read the report on work reporting requirement implementation
>>> Read the brief on eligibility, enrollment, and renewal policies
Shareable graphics about HUSKY
We put together some flyers and shareable graphics to get the word out about changes coming to HUSKY. They focus on two things: HUSKY is Medicaid in Connecticut, and the best step people can take now is to make sure the Department of Social Services has their correct contact information. These are available in English and Spanish.
>>> Download the graphics and flyers
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