U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra extended
the federal public health emergency due to the COVID-19
pandemic for another 90 days on October 13, placing the
expiration – for now – at or around January 11, 2023, although
the Secretary may terminate the declaration whenever he
determines that the emergency has ceased to exist. Secretary
Becerra has previously promised to provide 60 days’ notice before
ending the emergency.
The federal public health emergency provides health care
enrollment flexibility, allows counties to delay annual Medicaid
redeterminations (although CMS has now given states 12 months to
“catch up”), expands access to telehealth services which will
remain in place for five months after the emergency ends, and
fast-tracks federal COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and treatments.
California continues to maintain the state public health
emergency concurrently with the federal declaration.
