Medicaid Disenrollments Paused In Some States: Check Here Why!

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, a dozen states have put Medicaid disenrollments on hold, temporarily restoring coverage for tens of thousands of people.

Medicaid Disenrollments Paused In Some States (PHOTO: VERIFYThis.com)

Medicaid Disenrollments

CNN reported that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has expressed concern about the large number of disenrollments, especially for procedural reasons, where enrollees did not complete the renewal process due to various factors like not receiving the required forms or misunderstanding instructions. Nearly three-quarters of the disenrollments fall into this category, and CMS worries that many of these individuals may still be eligible for Medicaid.

Over 3 million enrollees have been disenrolled since the pandemic-era ban on Medicaid disenrollments coverage termination expired on April 1. The rate of disenrollments for procedural reasons varied by state, raising red flags about potential eligibility issues.

CMS is closely monitoring states’ compliance with federal requirements and has worked with the 12 affected states to pause terminations and address renewal requirement issues. Additionally, the agency is in preliminary discussions with other states to ensure compliance with federal rules.

Some of the common reasons for pausing disenrollments include states not using electronic data sources to verify enrollees’ income, resulting in automatic renewals due to “systems glitches.”

READ ALSO: Medicaid Coverage In D.C. Region: Thousands Of Residents Are Disenrolled To The Benefits!

Medicaid Disenrollments Pauses

The length of Medicaid disenrollments pauses varies by state, depending on the speed at which they can resolve their issues, with some states taking an extra 90 days to correct their systems. CMS has emphasized the risk of losing federal Medicaid matching funds as an effective incentive for states to comply with federal requirements.

Enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) reached nearly 94 million people during the period when states were unable to reduce their rolls. As states begin Medicaid disenrollments processes, estimates suggest that around 17 million people could lose their coverage, with some states planning to complete the eligibility reviews by the end of May 2024.

READ ALSO: Medicaid Purge: Millions Are Kicked Out Of The Program; Democrats Say It’s Unjust!