On January 11, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary
Becerra extended
the federal public health emergency (PHE) due to the
COVID-19 pandemic for another 90 days, delaying the expiration
until April 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, 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. The declaration, however, does not affect the related
changes to Medicaid enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations
Act of 2023 as previously reported in last week’s
CSAC Weekly Bulletin. With the passage of the federal bill,
the continuous coverage requirements that paused all Medi-Cal
redeterminations since March 2020 would be decoupled from the PHE
termination date as of April 1, 2023, setting the stage for the
resumption of Medi-Cal redeterminations. Updated guidance from
the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the
California Department of Health Care Services is forthcoming and
will be shared once received.
