Take 5 is a series in which we pose five questions to a Blue Cross associate and learn more about who they are, what they do, and how they help our members live their healthiest lives.

In this edition of "Take 5", we talk with Chris Reiten, our vice president of Medicaid.

What is your role at Blue Cross?

I am the Blue Cross vice president of Medicaid. I provide leadership, strategic direction and responsibility for the overall performance and member experience of our plans that cover Minnesota’s Medical Assistance program (state Medicaid) and Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO).

This is actually my second tenure with Blue Cross. I was here from 1989-2006 in multiple roles in government programs.  I re-joined in 2020 to lead the Medicaid business. Overall, I have more than 30 years of experience in working with government program products and lines of business. I have always been impressed with the commitment Blue Cross has for all the populations we serve, including the Medicaid population.

Can you explain the difference between Blue Cross and Blue Plus?

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is a nonprofit health service plan. Blue Cross serves members enrolled in a range of health plans, including Medicare plans, self-insured and fully insured employer-sponsored plans, Individual plans and the Federal Employee Program.

Blue Plus is the health maintenance organization (HMO) affiliate of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. Blue Plus is the entity that contracts with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to administer public health plans, including Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare.

The terms “redeterminations” and “Medicaid unwinding” have been in the news a lot lately. What do these terms mean, and who do they impact?

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, Congress enacted several laws to help people and states respond. As part of those laws, all states were required to maintain health care coverage for existing Medicaid enrollees, while also adding coverage for others as they became eligible. This “continuous coverage” rule was in effect for the duration of the Public Health Emergency, which ended on March 31, 2023.

States are now beginning to “unwind” the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement. Unwinding refers to the process of reviewing or redetermining the eligibility of every person enrolled in Medicaid. In other words, we’re going back to the way things were before the pandemic – but now we have three years’ worth of enrollment that needs to be reviewed and redetermined.  This will take place on a rolling basis over the course of a year.

What is the one thing that people should understand about Medicaid unwinding?

I think it’s important to know that Medicaid unwinding is not an automatic process. People that are currently covered by Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare do need to take action to renew coverage. If you or someone you know is on Medical Assistance, the most important thing to do first is update your contact information. This will ensure DHS can mail a renewal packet and contact you when it’s time to renew coverage.

All Medical Assistance enrollees should check their mail and look for a large envelope with a blue circle marked “Important information enclosed” that contains renewal paperwork. Medical Assistance members can also use the renewal lookup tool on the DHS website to find out the month in which their renewal takes place so that they know when to watch for their mail. We do not want anyone to lose coverage. But that can all depend on whether you fill out and send back the renewal form.

Where can people go to learn more information on how to retain their coverage in Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare?

There are a lot of resources available that people can use to learn more about how to retain their coverage. Listed below are a few resources:

• DHS: Renew my coverage / Minnesota Department of Human Services (mn.gov)
• Blue Cross: Renewing your Medical Assistance health coverage | Blue Cross MN
• MNsure-certified navigators: Help from a Navigator / MNsure

People can also call their local county office or tribe, a MNsure Navigator, or call Blue Cross Blue Shield for assistance.