Y
ou are receiving this email because you may know families with a member enrolled in CHIP, known as FAMIS and FAMIS MOMS in Virginia.
If Congress does not renew CHIP funding before January 31, 2018, 68,000 children and 1,100 pregnant women in Virginia will lose their medical, dental, and mental health coverage.
While the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) is cautiously optimistic that Congress will eventually renew the program, several deadlines have already come and gone with no action.
We do not want to cause alarm. We want you to be aware of what will happen and when. With the information contained in this email, we hope you can help families understand what is happening and what they should - and should not -
do at this time.
Some families think they are covered by FAMIS, but they are actually covered by FAMIS Plus, which is Medicaid. Children and pregnant women covered by Medicaid will remain in Medicaid and will not be affected if FAMIS/FAMIS MOMS ends.
On December 12,
DMAS
mailed letters to families with someone covered by FAMIS or FAMIS MOMS letting them know the current program status and Congressional action. The letter tells families to continue as though there will be no changes to their benefits through January 31. It also tells those due for renewal during this time period to follow any renewal instructions.
Here is the
letter
, along with some
FAQs t
hat might be helpful to you and families you serve. You will see that it is written in a way that informs them of the situation, but doesn't cause alarm. That is the goal in our messaging.
This is a dynamic situation and we hope that Congress will act before Christmas to reauthorize CHIP and the funding it provides for FAMIS and FAMIS MOMS. To keep up with the most current information from DMAS, go to CoverVa.org.
|
