Millions of Democrat moochers who rely on Medicaid may be booted from program

WASHINGTON (AP) — If you get health care coverage through 
Medicaid, you might be at risk of losing that coverage over the 
next year.

Roughly 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.

But as states begin checking everyone’s eligibility for Medicaid 
for the first time in three years, as many as 14 million people 
could lose access to that health care coverage.

A 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’re one of those people who relies on the program.

WHAT’S HAPPENING TO MEDICAID?

At 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.

That all stopped once COVID-19 started spreading across the 
country.

Over 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.

WHEN MIGHT I LOSE MY COVERAGE?

That 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.

Other states will start taking that step in May, June or July.

Not everyone will be removed from the program all at once. 
States plan to verify all recipients’ eligibility over periods 
of nine months to one year.

___

HOW WILL I BE NOTIFIED IF I’M LOSING COVERAGE?

If you rely on Medicaid for care, it’s important to update your 
contact information, including home address, phone number and 
email with the state from which you receive benefits.

States will mail a renewal form to your home. The federal 
government also requires states to contact you in another way -– 
by phone, text message or email –- to remind you to fill out the 
form.

Even 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.

“A text might just grab someone’s attention in a way that would 
be more accessible,” she said, noting that a quick message also 
may be less intimidating than a mailed notice.

Most states have already used texting for things such as 
reminding patients to get a COVID-19 vaccine or about upcoming 
doctor’s visits. But sending mass texts on Medicaid eligibility 
will be new, McEvoy said.

You 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.

___

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS IF I’M KICKED OFF MEDICAID?

Many people who will no longer qualify for Medicaid coverage can 
turn to the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace for coverage, 
where they’ll find health care coverage options that may cost 
less than $10 a month.

But the coverage available on the marketplace will still be 
vastly different from what’s 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.

A 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.

___

MY CHILDREN ARE ENROLLED IN MEDICAID. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEIR 
COVERAGE?

More than half of U.S. children receive health care coverage 
through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Even if you receive a notice that you’re no longer eligible for 
Medicaid, it’s 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’t earn enough to afford private health insurance.

Between 80% and 90% percent of children will still be eligible 
for those programs, according to estimates from the Georgetown 
University Health Policy Institute’s Center for Children and 
Families.

“When a parent receives a message that they aren’t eligible 
anymore, they often assume their child is no longer eligible 
either,” said Joan Alker, the center’s executive director. “It’s 
more common to find that the parent is no longer eligible for 
Medicaid, but the child still is.”

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