It won’t be a surprise that this issue of the Update is devoted to the coronavirus pandemic. As of this writing, two federal coronavirus-related bills have been enacted, and a third is (hopefully) close to enactment. It is expected that there will be more legislation to come. The new laws, and policy changes made by the administration, have significantly changed Medicaid rules, or allowed states to make or request changes. Among these: under federal law, states are not permitted to disenroll anyone from Medicaid until after the public health emergency has ended. States will also be receiving a greater share of Medicaid funding from the federal government, and federal and state policies have been changed to promote the use of telehealth. Read on for more information about these policy changes.
Check out the Family Voices coronavirus webpage for information and resources, and see “Coronavirus Resources,” at the end of this Update for additional information, including how to get extra prescription medications so you can stay away from crowded places. You can keep up to date on this topic via the CDC’s webpage on the novel coronavirus.
You can also subscribe to a new COVID-19 newsletter, and follow the CDC on social media: @CDCgov; Facebook; Instagram. See also the Main WHO coronavirus webpage. Links to additional resources are provided at the end of this Update.
Encourage confidence to act