The Shapiro Administration and the PA Department of Human Services (DHS) are urging anyone enrolled in Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program to make sure their contact information is correct so they can receive timely updates about their benefits. Under new federal law, continuous MA eligibility will be separated from the public health emergency and will end on April 1, 2023. By keeping contact information up-to-date, recipients of Medicaid and CHIP will receive timely, necessary updates about their coverage and benefits so they are ready when it is time to renew their coverage.

These changes come following passage of the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, and will force states to resume normal MA renewal determination processes after April 1, 2023. 

“Recent federal law changes Medicaid renewal guidelines, and we need everyone to be aware of those and know what they need to do to stay covered. In order to keep as many Pennsylvanians covered as possible, DHS needs the most accurate information available in our system so that when it is time to complete their annual renewal, Pennsylvanians can submit their renewal quickly and easily,” said DHS Acting Secretary Val Arkoosh. “Take the time now to ensure that your information is correct so when your renewal is due, you have what you need to avoid a potential disruption in coverage.” 

The Department of Human Services, along with other agencies across the Commonwealth, are undertaking an aggressive, multi-pronged outreach plan to reach Pennsylvanians and inform them of the upcoming changes. Outreach to MA recipients has already begun and will continue to include mail, text, email, and phone calls to make certain they are aware of the federal action affecting their benefits. DHS is also planning coordinated broad public communications via social media, community stakeholders, and press channels to notify the public of this change for MA recipients. This social media outreach – primarily for individuals to keep contact information up-to-date to receive information on time – has been ongoing for months now. 

Changes to Federal Policy 

The federal public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic allowed for individuals to continue to remain enrolled in MA even if they became ineligible based on regular eligibility criteria, except in rare circumstances. This is also known as the MA continuous coverage requirement. On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 into law, which affects continuous MA coverage requirements. 

No one will lose their health coverage without having an opportunity to complete a renewal, and renewals will be completed over 12 months. Renewals due in March 2023 will be the first affected by the end of continuous coverage. If a person is found ineligible for their current coverage or does not complete their renewal on time, their MA coverage will end. Pennsylvanians who are no longer eligible for MA will be referred to other sources of affordable medical coverage like CHIP and Pennie®, the commonwealth’s health and dental insurance marketplace, so they have no lapse in quality, affordable health care. A schedule and examples of communications that MA and CHIP households will receive leading up to their renewal is available from DHS here. 

Prepare for Renewals 

Information about when a person’s annual renewal is scheduled can be found on COMPASS or on the myCOMPASS PA mobile app. Anyone can set up a COMPASS account at www.dhs.pa.gov/compass and, if they have a mobile device, can download the myCOMPASS PA mobile app for free. Instructional videos on downloading and using the myCOMPASS PA app are available on DHS’s YouTube channel. Those without computer or mobile access can call DHS’ Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 or 215-560-7226 in Philadelphia, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., or visit their local County Assistance Office. 

Keep Contact Information Up-To-Date to Receive Updates 

Pennsylvanians whose contact information or personal circumstances have changed can use COMPASS to make the following updates to their case file at any time: 
-Changes to the number of people living in your household 
-Changes to your email address 
-Changes to your phone number 
-Changes to your mailing address 

COMPASS also allows users to sign up to receive e-notifications about their benefits. Keeping information up to date will help Pennsylvanians receive reminders about their annual benefit renewal quickly so they can prevent an avoidable lapse in coverage or services. 

Additionally, DHS encourages Pennsylvanians to opt-in to text messages to receive information about their benefits. The texts read: 

“The PA Dept of Human Services would like to text you important messages about your benefits. Carrier rates may apply. To Opt In, please reply ‘YES.’” 

If you receive a text like this from the number 1-833-648-1964, it is not a scam. Messages sent by DHS via text will never ask you for personal information, and you should not provide it. These are intended to be reminders about your benefits and other important information about programs administered by DHS and the federal government. 

DHS will provide additional information on the end of continuous coverage and other benefits affected by changes to the federal public health emergency in the coming weeks. For more information on the end of continuous coverage for MA and CHIP, visit www.dhs.pa.gov/phe. 

On Friday, February 10, 2023, Governor Josh Shapiro announced that more than $8 million in competitive Safe Schools Targeted grants have been awarded to 166 schools in Pennsylvania to improve school safety. Grants can be used to create safer school communities in a variety of ways, including purchasing safety equipment, implementing new programs, and hiring security personnel and school resource officers.

“Every student in Pennsylvania deserves a safe learning environment, and these Safe Schools Targeted Grants will help schools all across the Commonwealth invest in the resources and staff they need to keep students, teachers, and staff safe,” said Gov. Shapiro. “Students should be able to focus on learning and growing in the classroom, and my Administration will continue to work with our schools and local communities to ensure they have the support they deserve.” The list of awardees can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) Office for Safe School website.

The January 9th special session in Harrisburg that was called for with the intent to help victims of childhood sexual abuse has failed, with no action taken and no pathway in sight. The session, called for by House Speaker Mark Rozzi and then-Governor Tom Wolf was to vote on a constitutional amendment that would provide victims of childhood sexual abuse a chance to sue their abusers regardless of the statute of limitations. However, it devolved into wrangling over partisan issues instead of taking measures to help survivors of childhood sexual assault. 

The push to pass House Bill 14 was spearheaded by State Republican Representative Jim Gregory, who is a sex abuse survivor. His previous bill passed and should be law, but it was bungled and kept off of the ballot due to an error by the PA Department of State.

During the session, the PA Senate bundled Gregory’s bill, which would have paved the way for a constitutional amendment to expand the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file a civil lawsuit, with two other amendments and passed the bundle as Senate Bill 1. Unfortunately for abuse victims, those amendments were highly debatable items such as a  voter ID requirement  and ending the governor’s ability to veto the General Assembly’s disapproval of a regulation. 

When on January 6, 2023 Governor Tom Wolf issued a proclamation calling for a special session of the General Assembly to be held on Monday, January 9, 2023 to propose a constitutional amendment to retroactively extend the timeline for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file civil actions, the aim was for the General Assembly to pass the joint resolution no later than Friday, January 27, 2023. This timeframe would have ensured the PA Department of State could meet the publication requirements so that voters would have the opportunity to consider the amendment in May 2023. Earlier, in August 2022, Gov. Wolf and legislative leaders agreed that the constitutional amendment process would be the best path forward.​​​​​​

The proposed language in HB 14 is underlined in section (b) below:
(a) All courts shall be open; and every man for an injury done him in his lands, goods, person or reputation shall have remedy by due course of law, and right and justice administered without sale, denial or delay. Suits may be brought against the Commonwealth in such manner, in such courts and in such cases as the Legislature may by law direct.
(b) An individual for whom a statutory limitations period has already expired shall have a period of two years from the time that this subsection becomes effective to commence an action arising from childhood sexual abuse, in such cases as provided by law at the time that this subsection becomes effective.