WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 If you get health care coverage through Medicaid, you might be at risk of losing that coverage over the next year.
\nRoughly 84 million people are covered by the government-sponsored program, which has grown by 20 million people since January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
\nBut as states begin checking everyone\u2019s eligibility for Medicaid for the first time in three years, as many as 14 million people could lose access to that health care coverage.
\nA look at why so many people may no longer qualify for the Medicaid program over the next year and what you need to know if you\u2019re one of those people who relies on the program.
\nWHAT\u2019S HAPPENING TO MEDICAID?
\nAt the beginning of the pandemic, the federal government prohibited states from kicking people off Medicaid, even if they were no longer eligible. Before the pandemic, people would regularly lose their Medicaid coverage if they started making too much money to qualify for the program, gained health care coverage through their employer or moved into a new state.
\nThat all stopped once COVID-19 started spreading across the country.
\nOver the next year, states will be required to start checking the eligibility again of every person who is on Medicaid. People will have to fill out forms to verify their personal information, including address, income and household size.
\n___
\nWHEN MIGHT I LOSE MY COVERAGE?
\nThat will vary depending on which state you live in; some states are moving faster than others to check eligibility. Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma and West Virginia are among the states that will begin removing ineligible Medicaid recipients as early as April.
\nOther states will start taking that step in May, June or July.
\nNot everyone will be removed from the program all at once. States plan to verify all recipients\u2019 eligibility over periods of nine months to one year.
\n___
\nHOW WILL I BE NOTIFIED IF I\u2019M LOSING COVERAGE?
\nIf you rely on Medicaid for care, it\u2019s important to update your contact information, including home address, phone number and email with the state from which you receive benefits.
\nStates will mail a renewal form to your home. The federal government also requires states to contact you in another way -\u2013 by phone, text message or email \u2013- to remind you to fill out the form.
\nEven if mailed notices reach the right address, they can be set aside and forgotten, said Kate McEvoy, executive director of the nonprofit National Association of Medicaid Directors.
\n\u201cA text might just grab someone\u2019s attention in a way that would be more accessible,\u201d she said, noting that a quick message also may be less intimidating than a mailed notice.
\nMost states have already used texting for things such as reminding patients to get a COVID-19 vaccine or about upcoming doctor\u2019s visits. But sending mass texts on Medicaid eligibility will be new, McEvoy said.
\nYou will have at least 30 days to fill out the form. If you do not fill out the form, states will be able to remove you from Medicaid.
\n___
\nWHAT ARE MY OPTIONS IF I\u2019M KICKED OFF MEDICAID?
\nMany people who will no longer qualify for Medicaid coverage can turn to the Affordable Care Act\u2019s marketplace for coverage, where they\u2019ll find health care coverage options that may cost less than $10 a month.
\nBut the coverage available on the marketplace will still be vastly different from what\u2019s offered through Medicaid. Out-of-pocket expenses and co-pays are often higher. Also, people will need to check if the insurance plans offered through the marketplace will still cover their doctors.
\nA special enrollment period will open for people who are unenrolled from Medicaid that will start on March 31 and last through July 31, 2024. People who lose Medicaid coverage will have up to 60 days to enroll after losing coverage, according to guidance the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent to states last month.
\n___
\nMY CHILDREN ARE ENROLLED IN MEDICAID. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEIR COVERAGE?
\nMore than half of U.S. children receive health care coverage through Medicaid or the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program.
\nEven if you receive a notice that you\u2019re no longer eligible for Medicaid, it\u2019s likely that your child still qualifies for the program or for health care coverage through CHIP, which covers children whose families make too much money qualify for Medicaid but don\u2019t earn enough to afford private health insurance.
\nBetween 80% and 90% percent of children will still be eligible for those programs, according to estimates from the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute\u2019s Center for Children and Families.
\n\u201cWhen a parent receives a message that they aren\u2019t eligible anymore, they often assume their child is no longer eligible either,\u201d said Joan Alker, the center\u2019s executive director. \u201cIt\u2019s more common to find that the parent is no longer eligible for Medicaid, but the child still is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Apnews<\/p>\n
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