Changes in Medicaid, CHIP coverage could affect you

This article appeared in the May 2023 edition of the Chickasaw Times

States will soon be required to restart Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) reviews. According to some estimates, when states resume these reviews, up to 15 million people could lose current Medicaid or CHIP coverage through a process called “unwinding.”

During the pandemic, the federal government made significant revisions to Medicaid and CHIP to minimize the loss of insurance coverage. These revisions helped many people retain coverage during the pandemic. However, these modifications are set to end soon which may cause a gap or loss of coverage for some.

If you are an employee of the Chickasaw Nation and are eligible for the employee medical insurance program, your coverage will not be affected.

To ensure your loved ones have adequate health coverage, patients with the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health who have Medicaid or CHIP should contact the Patient Benefits Assistance team. Staff members will confirm the department has your current mailing address, phone number, email and other contact information on file.

For more information on this Medicaid change, please contact the Patient Benefits office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday at (580) 421-4592 or visit Medicaid.gov.

Be on the lookout for your Medicaid renewal letter in the mail.