The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) hosted a Family Assistance Center (FAC) Full-Scale Exercise on Thursday, April 18, in Frankford. The exercise simulated a traffic collision with multiple coach buses and numerous injuries and fatalities. It was held to test the readiness and response capabilities of state agencies and the community.

DPH collaborated with the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, Delaware State Police, Delaware Division of Forensic Sciences, Division of Social Services, Victim Services and other emergency and community-based organizations to develop a comprehensive FAC plan.  Participants acted out different scenarios that mimicked what might occur following the emergency.

The Full-Scale Exercise aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of various response measures, including reunification information, patient/deceased tracking, implementation of a call center, communication strategies (including family and press briefings) and family support and victims’ services operations. It also tested various aspects of the response process, including the coordination between different agencies and local hospital systems, the flow of information to the public and the support provided to survivors and their families.

“The exercise was an excellent opportunity for emergency responders and community stakeholders to practice and refine their emergency response plans,” said Delaware Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Josette Manning. “It also served as a valuable learning experience, providing them with insights into what steps can be taken in the event of a real emergency.”

“DPH is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all Delawareans,” said DPH Director Steven Blessing. “By hosting this exercise, DPH aims to improve the coordination and effectiveness of emergency response efforts, ensuring that all Delawareans receive the support they need in times of crisis.”

You can view the full recording of the exercise here.

NEW CASTLE (March 19, 2024) – The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and Governor John Carney announced additional investments in child care for the upcoming year.

Building on the Governor’s Recommended Budget, which proposes expanding eligibility for Purchase of Care to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and creating over 200 additional ECAP seats, the State will be taking the following actions this year:

• Cap family co-payments at 7% of family income and remove all co-pays for families below 150% of the federal poverty level, ensuring families will pay less out of pocket for child care.
• Increase compensated absence days from five to 10, providing child care centers and homes with additional stability and predictability in their budgets.

When combined with the proposed investments in the Governor’s Recommended Budget, these actions will help more families pay for child care.

“We know how critical the first five years of a child’s life are to future academic and career success,” said Governor John Carney. “Investing in our youngest learners has been a priority of ours from day one, and these investments further that commitment. I want to thank our child care providers for all they do every day to set our children up for future success.”

Since 2017, the administration has more than doubled investments in Purchase of Care and the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP). The Governor’s Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 proposes investing $83 million in Purchase of Care, compared to $32 million in 2017 and $15.7 million in ECAP, compared to $6.1 million in 2017.

“From birth to 5, the first 1,825 days of a child’s life pave a foundation for the future. That’s why it is essential to support early education with policy and investments – it’s not only good for our kids, but also for our child care workforce and our state’s economy. Affordable child care is a necessity for families. These investments in Delaware’s early education sector show our commitment to families, providers, and the strength of our state,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long.

In addition to these investments, the State worked to keep child care providers open by investing more than $100 million during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are thankful for these additional investments which will help support our youngest Delawareans and families,” said Division of Social Services Director Tom Hall. “These program enhancements are a result of conversations and feedback with families, providers, and our federal partners. These investments will help make the purchase of care program more accessible and give providers the boost they need.”

For more information on child care, visit Delaware’s Child Care Consumer Education Website at https://www.mychildde.org/.

The Delaware Division of Social Services is issuing retroactive emergency food assistance benefits under the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program for School Year 2022-2023 and Summer 2023 to Delaware households with eligible children.

Eligible households began receiving P-EBT benefits beginning in August. Benefits from Fall 2022 (September-December 2022) are available on EBT cards as of Aug. 18, 2023. Benefits from Spring 2023 (January-May 2023) will be available on EBT cards Sept. 27, 2023, while benefits from Summer 2023 will be available Oct. 13, 2023.

Delaware’s P-EBT Program provides food assistance to families with children who lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to school closures or reduced in-person attendance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The P-EBT Program was implemented as a result of the federal public health emergency declaration for COVID-19 and will end after the Summer 2023 retroactive benefits are issued.

Eligible households will receive written notification in the mail regarding P-EBT benefits for the 2022-2023 school year and Summer 2023.

School Year 2022-2023 P-EBT for School Children

Families with children who were enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade at a Delaware school for the 2022-2023 school year qualify for P-EBT benefits if three conditions are met:

1. The child attended a Delaware school in school year 2022-2023 that qualified for P-EBT because the school closed or operated with reduced attendance or hours for five consecutive days; and
2. The child was certified either directly, through categorical eligibility, or through an application to receive free or reduced-price meals or attended a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school where all students received free meals through the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program; and
3. The child was not able to receive free or reduced-price meals at school because the child had an excused absence, attended school virtually, or was homeschooled due to a COVID-related reason.

Families will receive $8.18 for each school day that their child did not receive meals at school because the child had an excused absence, attended school virtually, or was homeschooled due to a COVID-related reason. The P-EBT benefit amount equals the federal reimbursement rate for breakfast, lunch, and a snack of $8.18 per child per eligible school day. Families will not receive P-EBT for the days that their children attended school in-person and received meals at school or for absent, virtual, or homeschool days that are not due to COVID-19. Families will receive P-EBT benefits for all eligible children in their home according to the schedule below.

*Partial benefit month due to the expiration of the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023.

School Year 2022-2023 P-EBT for Children Under 6 in SNAP Households

Families who received SNAP food benefits during one or more months from September 2022 through May 2023 and had a child under age 6 in their household will receive P-EBT benefits for the 2022-2023 school year.

Families will receive a standard benefit amount for each child under age 6 for the months that the household received SNAP food benefits according to the schedule below.

*Partial benefit month due to the expiration of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.

Summer 2023 P-EBT for School Children

Families with eligible children will receive P-EBT benefits for Summer 2023.

Children who meet the following conditions qualify for the Summer P-EBT benefit:

1. Children who were eligible for free or reduced-price school meals during the last month of the 2022-2023 school year. This includes children who graduated at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
2. Children who are determined newly eligible for free or reduced-price school meals during Summer 2023 and were enrolled in a Delaware school during the 2022-2023 school year. Families that submitted a meal application to their school on or before August 4, 2023, and are approved will qualify for Summer P-EBT as long as the child was enrolled in the school for the 2022-2023 school year.

Families will receive the standard Summer P-EBT benefit amount of $120 for each eligible child in their home according to the schedule below.

P-EBT benefits may be used to purchase food at stores that accept SNAP EBT cards. SNAP households will have P-EBT benefits loaded to their existing SNAP EBT cards. Households that do not receive SNAP will have P-EBT benefits loaded to the P-EBT card that was sent to them in a previous school year. Newly eligible non-SNAP households will receive a P-EBT card in the mail along with details on how to use the card.

P-EBT eligibility is based on information received from Delaware schools and the Division of Social Services. If a child’s P-EBT eligibility information is received late from the child’s school, the family will get their P-EBT benefits after the dates listed in the table above.

Families with questions about Delaware’s P-EBT program can contact the Division of Social Services at 1-866-843-7212 or visit Delaware’s P-EBT website.

Medicaid renewals began April 1;  

Members should verify contact information with DHSS, watch for renewal information 

The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) has resumed the standard eligibility renewal process for Medicaid and CHIP recipients as of April 1, 2023, as required by federal law. Annual renewals were not required from March 2020 to March 2023 during the federal Public Health Emergency designation. Federal legislation, signed into law on December 29, 2022, set a specific date to resume renewals, regardless of when the Public Health Emergency ends.  

As of January 2023, approximately 315,000 Delawareans were enrolled in Medicaid. With annual renewals underway, DHSS estimates 40,000 to 50,000 Delaware residents who were receiving continuous coverage due to the Public Health Emergency may no longer qualify for Medicaid or CHIP, also known as the Delaware Healthy Children Program, and may be disenrolled. 

Between April 2023 and April 2024, DHSS is reviewing every member’s eligibility and, where approved by state or federal rules, using available data sources to automatically renew members. If DHSS cannot auto-renew a person’s coverage using available and approved data sources, the member will receive a pre-populated renewal letter by mail. Delaware Medicaid and its Managed Care Organization partners are also using texts, email, and social media when available to enhance outreach efforts.  

A member can complete their renewal through a variety of ways: online through Delaware ASSIST, by phone, by mail, by fax, or at any Division of Social Services (DSS) office locations. Individuals who need assistance filling out their renewal can call the Division of Social Services Customer Service Unit at 1-866-843-7212. 

“Over the past three years, the state’s public assistance programs have been a crucial safety net for so many Delawareans,” said Molly Magarik, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). “As we are undertaking the monumental task of restarting eligibility renewals again, our goal is to ensure Medicaid members who continue to be eligible stay enrolled and that those who are determined to no longer be eligible get connected to affordable coverage.”  

The most important thing Medicaid and CHIP members can do is to update their mailing address, email and phone numbers with DMMA and sign up for electronic notifications. Contact the Change Report Center at (302) 571-4900, Option 2 or send changes via fax to (302) 571-4901. Changes and notification preferences can also be made at ASSIST Self Service https://assist.dhss.delaware.gov/. Individuals can find out more information about the renewal process at de.gov/medicaidrenewals. 

“There are many Delaware residents who qualified for Medicaid coverage for the first time during the Public Health Emergency who have never had to complete an annual renewal before,” said Steven Costantino, Director of Health Care Reform for DHSS. “This is why it is critical that we have the most accurate information available for each member, and that individuals on Medicaid watch out for communication and take the necessary steps to renew. We do not want anyone who is eligible for Medicaid to be disenrolled.”   

Health care providers and others who provide services to members can help by reminding their Medicaid members to look for and complete their Medicaid renewals this year and to encourage them to start exploring other coverage options if they believe they will no longer qualify for their current coverage. 

Special Enrollment Period Authorized for Health Insurance Marketplace  

To help individuals who are no longer eligible for Medicaid coverage, the federal government has authorized a Special Enrollment Period for the Health Insurance Marketplace. Individuals who lose their coverage through Medicaid and CHIP any time between March 31, 2023, and July 31, 2024, will be eligible for a marketplace special enrollment period. After a person is determined eligible for the marketplace, they will have 60 days to choose a plan, and their coverage will start the first day of the month after the plan is selected. 

Many enrollees can find plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace that cost less than $10 a month. Plans cover services like prescription drugs, doctor visits, urgent care, hospital visits, and more. 

Delawareans who no longer qualify for Medicaid should ensure that they do not experience a gap in health insurance coverage, but choosing the right private health insurance plan can seem daunting. Trinidad Navarro, the Commissioner of the Delaware Department of Insurance, suggests that a good first step would be to visit ChooseHealthDE.com to locate a local, federally registered/approved Navigator for assistance in enrolling in the Federally Facilitated Marketplace.   

In Delaware, assistance enrolling in the Health Insurance Marketplace is available from certified Health Insurance Marketplace Navigator teams at Westside Family Healthcare and Quality Insights. To be connected to a trained Navigator, call:  

• Westside Family Healthcare: New Castle County: 302-472-8655, Kent or Sussex counties: 302-678-2205 
• Quality Insights: 1-844-238-1189 

Some individuals who are found to be ineligible for Medicaid may be eligible for or already enrolled in Medicare. If that’s the case, the Department’s Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB) (302-674-7364) is ready to help with locating supplemental Medicare and Prescription coverage.   

“Our DMAB team is friendly, knowledgeable and approachable, and they are always there to help older Delawareans get the best possible coverage to supplement their Medicare plans,” said Commissioner Navarro. 

Be Aware of Potential Insurance Scams 

Additionally, Commissioner Navarro pointed out that buyers should beware of offerings that say they are “plans” that are actually not health insurance. 

“As a general rule, if an offer seems too good to be true — it probably is,” Commissioner Navarro said. “Please be careful when searching for insurance on the Internet as you may accidently access a website that looks like it is advertising health insurance when it actually is not.”   

For example, buyers may receive aggressive advertising from discount plans or discount cards offering discounts on health care for a monthly fee. Another example is so called “health sharing” plans, which allow buyers to join a group or association that will take a participant’s monthly payments, put them in a savings account or trust with other participants’ money, and then help pay some of the participant’s health care costs, as needed. Neither of these “plans” are health insurance plans, and participants do not have the same protections as they would under major medical health insurance. 

It has also been reported that scammers may be calling or texting individuals that receive Medicaid asking for money to help with the Medicaid renewal process. Scammers might pretend to be from a real organization or a government agency. They can use phone, text or email to try to steal money or something of value from you. If someone contacts you and requests money for help with your Medicaid renewal they are not a representative of DHSS. DHSS will never ask you for money or for your credit card information. 

The Delaware Department of Justice also reminds residents to be extra diligent about telephone scams by: 

• Never agreeing to pay any fine or other money over the phone, including by purchasing a money order or gift card at a store and providing the number to someone over the phone or by email. Government agencies do not take payments this way.  
• Not answering calls from unknown numbers or unfamiliar persons. Scams can be “spoofed” to appear to be coming from a local number, even though the call is originating from out of state or overseas. 
• Hanging up on aggressive callers, particularly those who threaten arrest. 

Consumers who believe they may have been scammed may call the Consumer Protection Unit’s toll-free Consumer Hotline at (800) 220-5424, or e-mail consumer.protection@delaware.gov. Consumers can also report scammers’ phone numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry and file complaints at www.donotcall.gov.   

For more information about the Medicaid renewal process, visit de.gov/medicaidrenewals. 

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Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

NEW CASTLE (Jan. 25, 2023) – The Delaware Division of Social Services (DSS) will issue emergency benefits for January to eligible households as part of the State’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Benefits will be issued as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and two cash assistance programs – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and General Assistance (GA). The SNAP emergency food benefit will be available on recipients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards Thursday, Jan. 26. Eligible TANF and GA households will receive an emergency cash benefit check on or after Thursday, Jan. 26.

The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is also announcing that emergency food benefits for households receiving SNAP will end March 2023 due to a recent change in federal law passed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. This means households will receive their final emergency food benefit at the end of February. Beginning March 1, 2023, households will receive their regular monthly benefit amount on the normal issuance date and will no longer receive additional emergency food benefits on their EBT cards at the end of each month.

“We are so thankful that we were able to offer these emergency benefits to the many Delawareans who have experienced economic struggles and health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Molly Magarik. “We know this change likely will cause a hardship for many individuals and families, so we want to ensure that those individuals who relied on these additional funds each month are aware of the community resources that may be available to them.” DHSS encourages Delawareans in need of food assistance to contact Delaware 2-1-1 to find the nearest food closet or pantry or visit the Food Bank of Delaware’s website at fbd.org.

DHSS encourages Delawareans in need of food assistance to contact Delaware 2-1-1 to find the nearest food closet or pantry, or visit the Food Bank of Delaware’s website at fbd.org.

Through the end of February, all households with open SNAP cases will receive at least $95 in emergency food benefits, to be issued as follows:

• SNAP households receiving the maximum food benefit amount for their household size or a prorated initial benefit will receive $95 in emergency food benefits.
• SNAP households with a calculated emergency food benefit amount less than $95 will have their emergency benefit increased to $95.
• SNAP households with a calculated emergency benefit amount of $95 or more will continue to receive the calculated emergency benefit amount to increase the household’s monthly benefit up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size.

The emergency assistance for TANF and GA families increases a household’s monthly benefit for each program up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size. Households that already receive the maximum TANF or GA benefit amount or that have a prorated benefit in the month of January are not eligible for the January emergency cash funds. Emergency cash benefits will continue during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

DHSS has issued emergency benefits each month to eligible households since March 2020.

How the monthly emergency benefit is calculated: A household’s monthly emergency benefit equals the current maximum benefit amount for the household size minus the household’s current monthly benefit amount. For example, based on current USDA limits for SNAP benefits, if a household of one gets $100 in regular monthly benefits, that household will receive $181 in emergency benefits ($281 maximum benefit minus $100 monthly benefit).

Here are the current maximum monthly benefit amounts per household size for SNAP, TANF, and General Assistance:

An estimated 60,500 Delaware households will receive the emergency SNAP allotment in January, totaling about $12.5 million in emergency food benefits for the month.

Emergency Cash Benefits

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

General Assistance (GA)

An estimated 170 households will be eligible to receive emergency cash assistance benefits in January, totaling about $ 21,150 in emergency benefits for the month.

In addition to the emergency benefits, households will receive their regular benefits for January on the usual issuance dates.

Households should report to DSS any recent changes in address, household size, employment, income, and expenses (such as rent/mortgage, utilities, and child care). Households can report changes by logging in to Delaware ASSIST, calling 1-866-843-7212, or contacting their local DSS office.

For more information about DSS’s benefit programs in response to the pandemic, go to the division’s webpage. To screen for and apply for benefits, go to DHSS’ online application portal Delaware ASSIST or call 1-866-843-7212.