Transition from federal public health emergency, unwinding medical assistance eligibility

A new law appropriates about $74.56 million in fiscal year 2024 to the Department of Human Services to administer and implement the transition to standard medical assistance and MinnesotaCare eligibility functions.

In response to COVID-19, a federal public health emergency was declared Jan. 31, 2020, and set to end May 11, 2023. States were initially required to maintain eligibility for individuals on Medical Assistance by temporarily halting most eligibility renewals and taking other steps to ensure continuous coverage to receive an enhanced federal match.

The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 ended the requirement and allows states to begin MA eligibility redeterminations on April 1, 2023. Effective on that date, a new law has provisions to govern the transition from continuous coverage under the public health emergency.

Rep. Mohamud Noor (DFL-Mpls) and Sen. Melissa Wiklund (DFL-Bloomington) sponsor the law.

HF2286/SF2265*/CH22

SF2265* / HF2286 / CH22