Starting next month, people enrolled in Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare, a similar state-run health insurance program, will have to reapply for their coverage for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

The end of continuous enrollment, or automatically enrolling clients back into the programs, is the result of Congress winding down emergency relief measures the federal government enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has authority over both Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare.