The Public Health Emergency (PHE) is a federal declaration made by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that was put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. If it is not renewed every 90 days, it ends.

During the PHE, states were able to use additional money from the federal government for health care programs like Medicaid if they kept people covered through Medicaid (called Medical Assistance in PA). This means that although DHS continued to send annual renewal paperwork to Medical Assistance (MA) recipients, people generally did not lose their MA coverage if their income changed or they failed to complete a renewal.

A recent federal law ends the continuous coverage requirement on April 1, 2023. Starting April 1, 2023, Pennsylvania and other states will have to start completing disenrollments if households are ineligible for MA at the time of their renewal or do not complete their renewal. Everyone with MA or CHIP coverage will need to submit a renewal to see if they are still eligible. 

The best thing you can do now is make sure your phone number, email, and mailing address are up –to date with the DHS. You can update your information through COMPASS and sign up for text or email alerts to get information faster when it is your time to renew. If you cannot access COMPASS, you can update your contact information by calling the Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 or 215-560-7226 in Philadelphia.   

Also, we encourage you to opt-in to receive text messages from DHS. This is the easiest and fastest way to get reminders and alerts from us about your benefits and events. 

Watch for mail, emails, and texts from DHS. Messages from DHS are sent to inform you of important things needed for your benefits or to let you know about other programs that could help you and your loved ones.

You should look for your Medical Assistance (MA) renewal packet in the mail (see the FAQ "When will I get my renewal packet?"). Once you get your packet, you will need to complete and return it to your local County Assistance Office by the due date listed in one of the following ways: 

• Online
• Over the Phone
• Mail 
• Fax 
• In-person drop-off (in the office or via drop box)
  

You can do your renewal online from our COMPASS website at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS or over the phone at 1-866-550-4355. You can even submit any necessary verification documents on COMPASS or through the myCOMPASS PA mobile app. You can download the myCOMPASS PA mobile app for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 

Your renewal packet will be mailed to you the month before your renewal is due. If you are signed up to receive text messages from DHS, you will get a text notification when your renewal packet is mailed to you. 

You can also complete your renewal online via COMPASS the month that your renewal is due.  

If you are not sure when your renewal date is and you have a MyCOMPASS Account, you can find your renewal date in your My COMPASS Account with your benefit information. Signing up for a MyCOMPASS account is free and easy. Visit COMPASS, select 'Register', and create an account using your personal information. 

Yes! You can complete your renewal online as early as 60 days before the renewal is due from our COMPASS site at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS. You can even submit any necessary verification documents on COMPASS or through the myCOMPASS PA mobile app. You can download the myCOMPASS PA mobile app for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 

You do not need to do anything for your renewal packet to be sent to you. We strongly encourage you to make sure your mailing address, phone number, and email address are up to date so that your packet reaches you.

Approximately 90 days before your MA renewal is due, we will mail a letter to you that will remind you to update your contact and personal information if you have changes.  You can report any changes through the myCOMPASS PA mobile app or COMPASS and sign up for email and text alerts to get information faster when it is your time to renew. If you cannot access COMPASS, you can tell us about your changes by calling the Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 or 215-560-7226 in Philadelphia. 

​A due date will be listed on your renewal packet. If you need help completing your renewal or getting the needed verification documents by the due date, please contact your local County Assistance Office or the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 or 215-560-7226 in Philadelphia. We are here to help! 

​There are several ways to submit your verification documents, such as: 

• Upload documents onto the myCOMPASS PA mobile app 
• Upload documents onto COMPASS on your computer 
• Mail documents to your local County Assistance Office 
• Drop off documents in-person at your local County Assistance Office 
• Fax documents to your local County Assistance Office 
  

If you have difficulty gathering or submitting your verification documents, please immediately call the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 or 215-560-7226 in Philadelphia. Our staff can often help you get documentation or can give you more time to provide what is needed to process your renewal.  

​If you lose or do not receive your packet, please call the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 or 215-560-7226 in Philadelphia, which is available Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. They can arrange to send you a new packet. 

You can also complete your renewal on the COMPASS website or over the phone without the packet. Go to dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS to start the renewal process online or call 1-866-550-4355 to complete your renewal over the phone with a representative. You can even submit any necessary verification documents on COMPASS or through the myCOMPASS PA mobile app. You can download the myCOMPASS PA mobile app for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 

​If you receive your renewal packet close to or after the due date printed on the paperwork, please call the Statewide Customer Service Center immediately at 1-877-395-8930 or 215-560-7226 in Philadelphia. Our staff can help make sure you have enough time to submit your renewal and verification documents so that your renewal can still be processed.  

​If you do not return your renewal or do not provide requested verification by the due date, your MA coverage will end. You will receive a notice ending your MA coverage. The notice will include instructions on appealing the decision by asking for a Fair Hearing.

You can also still give us your renewal and/or verification documents up to 90 days after the date your MA closes on your notice.  If you are still eligible for MA, your MA will reopen with no gap in coverage. 

The renewal process will be the same as it was before the PHE and the continuous coverage requirement. Here is the process: 

1. You receive your renewal packet in the mail with a due date printed on it. 
2. Complete and sign your renewal packet,  
   
   OR complete your renewal and sign it on COMPASS,  
   
   OR complete your renewal over the phone at 1-866-550-4355. 
3. Mail, fax, or drop-off your completed renewal packet and any necessary verification documents to your local County Assistance Office or online on COMPASS.  
4. A caseworker will go over your renewal to see if you are still eligible to get MA. 
5. You will get a notice in the mail letting you know the outcome of your renewal. You will be either: 
• Eligible for Medical Assistance and your MA coverage will continue for another year. 
• Not eligible for MA and your case will close. We will send your information to Pennsylvania's official health insurance marketplace, Pennie®, or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for other coverage options. (Please see additional information on this in the "After Renewal/Coverage Options" section.) 
  

If you have questions about your renewal, you can call the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 or 215-560-7226 in Philadelphia. You can also call the Customer Service Center to ask questions about your benefits or report changes to your contact information, income, and more.

If you need one-on-one help filling out your renewal packet, you can call 1-866-550-4355 to complete your renewal with a representative over the phone, or your local County Assistance Office may be able to direct you to community organizations that can help you. 

​You can find your County Assistance office's contact information online.  

Note: Hours of operation may vary between different County Assistance Offices. Please check what hours your local office is open to serve you.

​Creating a My COMPASS Account can be done in just a few minutes. Go to dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS and  select "Login/Register" from the navigation ribbon at the top of the screen. You will be prompted to provide your name, contact information, and create a username and password. Follow the prompts to apply for or manage your benefits. 

If you have trouble logging into or using COMPASS, you can call the COMPASS Helpline at 1-800-692-7462. A representative can help you reset your password, or answer general questions about how to complete tasks on COMPASS. The Helpline is available Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

​If you do not need or want Medical Assistance, you can ask that your MA coverage close by calling your caseworker or the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 or 215-560-7226 in Philadelphia. 

If you are no longer eligible for Medical Assistance (MA) when your renewal is reviewed, you will get a letter in the mail telling you that your MA coverage is stopping. You can appeal the decision if you believe it is not correct. Appeal and fair hearing rights and instructions for how to ask for an appeal will be on the letter you will get.  

If you are not eligible for MA, we send your information to Pennie®, Pennsylvania's official health and dental insurance marketplace. You will get a letter if we share your information with Pennie®. Pennie® lets you shop for plans available in your area and is the only place to get financial assistance to help pay for coverage and/or out-of-pocket costs.  

Children under the age of 19 who are not eligible for MA may have their information sent to the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIP provides high quality, affordable health coverage for families with children that covers all the care your child may need like doctors' visits, prescriptions, vision and dental care, and more. 

​If you are found no longer eligible for Medical Assistance, your information may be sent to Pennie® and/or CHIP. However, if you do not get a letter from either Pennie® or CHIP, you can reach out through the contact information below. 

Pennie® 
Online: www.pennie.com/connect   
Phone: 1-844-844-8040 

CHIP 
Online: www.chipcoverspakids.com 
CHIP Helpline: 1-800-986-KIDS (5437) 

How can I apply for CHIP? 
You can apply for CHIP coverage at any time. Find out how you can apply for CHIP online, over the phone, through the mail, or in person at Apply For CHIP (pa.gov). 

How can I apply for a plan through Pennie®?
You can browse and apply for health and dental plans through Pennie ® at any time. Visit www.pennie.com to find out How to Enroll and get started.