CMS officials have told states to consider texting as one way to reach Medicaid enrollees when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends, but many states are ill-equipped to do so, Kaiser Health News reported April 13.
Three things to know:
1. Many states don't have the technology or information about enrollees to send texts, according to the report.
2. Texting efforts could also face legal barriers, according to the report. A federal law prohibits texting people without their consent. The FCC ruled that state agencies are exempt from the law, but it's unclear whether Medicaid managed-care organizations and counties that handle Medicaid duties are also exempt.
3. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported in March that 11 states said they would use texting to alert Medicaid recipients about the end of the public health emergency. That's compared to 33 states that said they will use traditional mail and at least 20 that will reach out via individual or automated phone calls.