During the pandemic, the federal government decided to terminate its continuous coverage policy, resulting in the removal of Medicaid coverage for millions of New Yorkers.
A recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation reveals that the government’s requirement for Medicaid recipients in New York to reapply for coverage led to the removal of 1.4 million individuals from the program. However, it is worth noting that out of those previously enrolled in Medicaid, 3.3 million were successfully reapproved.
Since the government discontinued offering continuous coverage through the pandemic, states across the country have been dealing with the challenge of renewing Medicaid coverage. This has resulted in a significant number of Medicaid enrollees, approximately 19.6 million, being removed from their policies. In fact, this accounts for approximately 30 percent of all enrollees since the process of cutting Medicaid began.
According to the KFF, the majority of individuals who lost their coverage did so due to procedural issues. Specifically, 69 percent of people nationally had their coverage terminated because they either missed a form deadline or provided an incorrect address.
In the case of New York, this accounted for 45 percent of individuals who were de-enrolled.
States across the country had different reasons for the loss of Medicaid coverage, although New York experienced a significant number of people affected.
The decrease in Medicaid enrollment in New York may be attributed to the state’s large population, which results in a higher number of individuals on Medicaid. It is important to note that while some Southern states, such as Texas and Florida, have halted Medicaid expansion and implemented stricter approval processes, New York’s decline in numbers may not necessarily indicate a deliberate effort to limit access to Medicaid.
“The states with large Medicaid populations also experience the highest number of disenrollments during the unwinding period,” explained Louise Norris, a health policy analyst for healthinsurance.org, in an interview with Newsweek. She further highlighted that these states have to process a significant number of eligibility redeterminations each month, which is even higher than the total Medicaid enrollment of some other states.”
New York takes pride in having one of the most generous limits for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIPS), allowing families with incomes up to 400 percent of the poverty level to qualify. This program, operated jointly by the state and federal government, provides health insurance specifically for children whose family incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid, yet still fall short of meeting the requirements for private coverage.
The state has made significant strides in expanding its Basic Health Program to provide coverage for adults with income up to 250 percent of the poverty level. This is a much higher threshold compared to many other states. As a result, individuals who may not qualify for Medicaid this year have the opportunity to secure alternative coverage through this program. Norris emphasized the importance of this expanded program in ensuring that more people have access to healthcare services.
Finding yourself without Medicaid can be a shocking experience for those who rely on it.
According to Fong, the Covid Medicaid protection proved to be a lifeline for many individuals who lost their jobs during the pandemic and had to rely on Medicaid for health insurance. Even as they started working again, the program allowed them to continue receiving Medicaid benefits.
According to Fong, individuals often discover that they no longer have Medicaid coverage when they attempt to visit a doctor and are informed that they do not have insurance. In such situations, Fong advises that the first step should be to promptly reach out to their state Medicaid agency. It is crucial to understand the reasons behind the loss of coverage and, if eligible, reapply for Medicaid without delay.
