WASHINGTON – Hundreds of thousands of people currently receiving Medicaid coverage in the US through a government-sponsored plan are tipped to lose their benefits. The government has instructed to check the eligibility of those getting the coverage. It is indicated that this will be unfavorable for lakhs of people in the list now.
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About 84 million people are currently covered under the scheme. There are almost 20 million more people now than there were in January 2020 before the start of Covid-19. For the first time in three years, states are checking eligibility for everyone on the Medicaid roster.
An estimated 14 million people could lose their coverage when asked to re-enroll in the plan. During the pandemic, the federal government prohibited states from removing people from the Medicaid system even if they were ineligible for coverage.
Before Covid, people routinely lost their Medicaid coverage if they earned more than they were eligible for the plan or were able to get new health coverage through their employers. People were routinely kicked off a given state’s Medicaid rolls if they moved to a new state. However, in the wake of Covid, all this seemed to have stopped.
Residents now have to fill out forms that verify personal information, including income, address and house size. Some states such as Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma and West Virginia will begin removing ineligible individuals from Medicaid in early April. Other states will start cleaning in May, June and July.
States will mail renewal forms to households. Federal government requirements mandate that individuals be contacted by either phone, text message, or email. Individuals are given 30 days to complete the re-enrollment form before being kicked out of Medicaid. Some people who are excluded from Medicaid can buy coverage in the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. Experts point out that some options can cost as little as $10 a month.
The implication is that coverage will certainly vary. Also there may be a need to change doctors. And they will face higher co-pays and out-of-pocket costs, according to reports. A special enrollment period for those disenrolled from Medicaid begins at the end of March and lasts for 60 days after a person loses coverage.
Although many adults are not eligible for Medicaid, most children are still eligible for some form of government coverage. Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program can benefit children. About 90 percent of U.S. children would still be eligible for those programs, according to the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Center for Children and Families.
