COVID-19 Pandemic Response Ensuring Access to Care

03/21/2020

Policy Memo

This guidance is being prepared in response to Families First Corona Virus Response Act enacted on March 18th, 2020.

Effective Immediately:

• DO NOT close medical EDGs for any reason other than:
  • • customer request;
    • move out of state;
    • death.
  • When eligibility is run and the result for ANY medical EDG on the case is set to "Close" - do NOT certify the medical unless the closure meets one of the exceptions listed above. Include in the case comment that medical was not certified to prevent closure due to the Familyes First Corona Virus REsponse Act.
  • Continue to certify changes for other programs, but do NOT certify the medical if it would cause someone's benefits to stop for a reason other than those listed above.
• Do NOT perform a case merge
  • The case merge process results in closure of benefits for the source case even when the target case is not yet certified. Until further notices, do not perform a case merge.

Systematic changes will be pursued to prevent medical closures, but until that time pay close attention to eligibility results to avoid unnecessary closures.