AARP Pennsylvania Provides Updates for Pennsylvanians Getting Ready for Medicaid and SNAP Changes

Leaders of Pennsylvania Departments of Human Services and Aging Join AARP TeleTown Hall

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In March 2020, the federal government put special coronavirus rules in place that helped hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians maintain stable health insurance and avoid food insecurity during the pandemic. However, the federal government recently ended some of these special rules and is now rolling back two pandemic-era federal policies.

One rollback impacts people enrolled in Medicaid, which is the federal-state health insurance program for people with low incomes. For the past three years, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act has provided states with extra federal funding to maintain Medicaid recipients in the program. Known as a "continuous enrollment" policy, the special rule allowed recipients to remain enrolled in Medicaid without being required to go through a renewal process, which verifies on individual's eligibility for the program. The rollback of this special rule means that beginning in April 2023, Medicaid recipients will need to resume submitting a Medicaid re-enrollment packet annually.

The second federal policy rollback pertains to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. During the pandemic, everyone who qualified for SNAP received an "extra payment" – called an Emergency Allotment – every month. The minimum SNAP extra payment gave Pennsylvania households at least $95 a month. The last extra payments were issued to SNAP recipients at the end of February 2023.

The Shapiro administration has been preparing for the end of these special rules, and to help get the word out AARP Pennsylvania hosted a TeleTown Hall to let Pennsylvanians know about these policy changes, including how their benefits might be impacted, what they need to do, and where to go for help. The informational session was moderated by AARP Pennsylvania Volunteer President Emeritus Joanne Grossi, who was joined by Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services' Acting Secretary Valarie A. Arkoosh and Department of Aging Acting Secretary Jason Kavulich.

"AARP Pennsylvania shares the Shapiro administration's commitment to make certain that regardless of zip code, every Pennsylvanian - from the youngest child to the oldest adult – has access to nutritious food and can maintain their health care coverage wherever it comes from," said AARP Pennsylvania State Director Bill Johnston-Walsh.

During the nearly hour-long session, approximately 4,000 Pennsylvanians listened-in and several participants asked their question live. Acting Secretaries Arkoosh and Kavulich provided important guidance, resources, and reminders so that those impacted by the end of the Medicaid "continuous coverage" requirement will be on the lookout for their renewal packet to arrive in the mail; and those affected by the end of the SNAP "extra payment" know how to check on their benefit and where to find help accessing nutritious foods in their local community. 

To listen to the AARP Pennsylvania TeleTown Hall recording, click here. To learn more about these to important policy changes, visit our AARP Pennsylvania resource page by clicking here.

About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability, and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media.

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SOURCE AARP Pennsylvania