News Releases

HHS Renews the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

On Jan. 11, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officially renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for another 90 days, extending it to mid-April. This decision allows for the continuation of measures first enacted in Jan. 2020, temporarily enabling healthcare eligibility for millions of Americans and greater flexibilities for hospitals in how they respond to patient surges.

The announcement by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra marks the 12th renewal of the COVID-19 PHE, a move some health experts anticipate could be the last. Secretary Becerra has committed to a 60-day notice of any plans to allow the declaration to expire, giving states time to prepare for the changes to programs.

The public health emergency has dramatically expanded Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program over the past three years to allow millions to benefit from healthcare, in addition to providing hospitals with additional resources.

Proponents of the PHE cite the benefits of the declaration, including free vaccines and antiviral treatments and easier access to medicine prescribed during telehealth visits for those suffering from substance use or mental health disorders. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, data indicates a dramatic increase in the treatment of mental health among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The end of the PHE could mean losing a tool to fight the opioid epidemic — which claimed more than 80,000 lives in the United States in 2021.

When the public health emergency does end, hospitals will be forced to face new challenges. Lifting the emergency designation will alter the flexibility in how hospitals deploy staff, add beds and care for patients if there is a surge in admissions. Health policy experts suggest HHS must ensure protections for vulnerable people before undoing the emergency designation. While Congress banned states from removing people from Medicaid during the emergency, once the PHE ends, at least five million Americans are expected to lose health insurance coverage.

A spending bill signed into law by Congress in Dec. 2022 sets an end to the continuous Medicaid enrollment. This allows states to resume disenrollment in April 2023 and will require participants to go through a redetermination process to verify if they qualify to receive healthcare benefits. The end would essentially begin the transition from a federal-led response to COVID-19 to the private sector.