For Immediate Release
July 18, 2023
Contact: Chantal Fuller, Communications Director
202-355-8431
cfuller@dccouncil.gov

                                                                    Councilmember Henderson Introduces Legislation to Ensure Children Retain Health Insurance Coverage

Washington, DC- Last week, Councilmember Henderson introduced the Childhood Continuous Coverage Act of 2023. This bill will require that any child enrolled in Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or the Immigrant Children’s Program during the ages of 0 to 5 years old will not face a redetermination or risk losing coverage under the program until the end of the month in which they turn 6 years old.

During the COVID public health emergency, all Medicaid enrollees were continuously enrolled and could not lose that coverage until the redetermination process resumed. The District similarly implemented continuous enrollment for participants in the DC HealthCare Alliance program. Redeterminations of eligibility resumed for Alliance enrollees on July 1, 2022, and for Medicaid enrollees on April 1, 2023, and will continue through June of 2024. In the early months of recertifications, the District has seen thousands of individuals removed from the Medicaid roles, and nationally, more than a million individuals have lost their Medicaid coverage due to the recertification process. For many, the lost in coverage was not due to ineligibility, but due to paperwork.  

The District has long prided itself on having among the very lowest rates of uninsurance in the country. This bill will help protect that performance going forward and will focus its attention on the most vulnerable population of young children whose families have lower incomes. These protections produce a broad spectrum of benefits across the health care sector.  

“Continuous enrollment promotes health equity by limiting gaps in coverage for low-income children who frequently experience health disparities. Additionally, continuous coverage improves access to health care services including preventive services, assists with care coordination, and allows for consistent treatment over time for chronic conditions,” noted Councilmember Henderson. “Parenthood and guardianship come with a plethora of stresses and concerns about the wellbeing and development of the child. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this legislation forward and improve the health and wellbeing for District of Columbia children.”

The Childhood Continuous Coverage Act of 2023 was co-introduced by Councilmembers Charles Allen, Janeese Lewis George, Brianne K. Nadeau, Zachary Parker, Brooke Pinto, and Robert C. White, Jr.

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