Renewal Red Tape, Scams Add To Concerns Over Medicaid Losses

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Thousands Of Georgians Face Immediate Loss Of Medicaid Insurance
Thousands of Georgians who depended on Medicaid for health insurance during the pandemic may lose coverage Thursday as the state finishes its first batch of policy re-evaluations, as emergency protections lapse, state records show. For three years during the pandemic health emergency, states suspended rules that usually require their Medicaid beneficiaries to periodically re-file their qualifying paperwork. The federal emergency ended this spring, however, and all states are now starting up those re-evaluations. (Hart, 6/1)

Gothamist: Many NYers Unaware They Could Soon Lose Medicaid Coverage, National Survey Finds 
Millions of New Yorkers on Medicaid will soon have to prove they are still eligible for the free health insurance program, after escaping scrutiny and receiving automatic renewals during the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. But many are unaware that the renewal process is coming up – and some have found it challenging in the past, according to a national survey released on Wednesday. The poll surveyed Medicaid enrollees across 14 states between September 2022 and February 2023. It was conducted by the nonprofit Make the Road, along with the Center for Popular Democracy and the People’s Action Institute. (Lewis, 5/31)

KFF Health News: As Medicaid Purge Begins, ‘Staggering Numbers’ Of Americans Lose Coverage
More than 600,000 Americans have lost Medicaid coverage since pandemic protections ended on April 1. And a KFF Health News analysis of state data shows the vast majority were removed from state rolls for not completing paperwork. Under normal circumstances, states review their Medicaid enrollment lists regularly to ensure every recipient qualifies for coverage. But because of a nationwide pause in those reviews during the pandemic, the health insurance program for low-income and disabled Americans kept people covered even if they no longer qualified. (Recht, 6/1)

North Carolina Health News: Medicaid Unwinding Could Undermine Expansion 
When Medicaid expansion was signed into law earlier this year by Gov. Roy Cooper, it was widely heralded as a transformative event for uninsured people in North Carolina. Amid the bipartisan celebration, there was little mention of the hundreds of thousands of existing enrollees who are expected to lose Medicaid coverage before expansion goes into effect. Few of the revelers acknowledged the less-than-ideal timing of the legislation, which passed just days before the expiration of a federal mandate that had prevented states from kicking Medicaid beneficiaries who became eligible for coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic off of the rolls. (Baxley, 6/1)

WYFF4: Warning Issued About Potential Medicaid Scams In South Carolina
The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is warning the community about current Medicaid renewal scams. The department says the scams may target Healthy Connections Medicaid members. Medicaid members in several states have received emails, texts or calls from scammers asking for money or gift cards to keep or reinstate health coverage, the department said. (5/31)

In other Medicaid news —

Modern Healthcare: Why PACE Programs Are Expanding As In-Home Nursing Demand Grows 
A little-known program to keep low-income seniors out of nursing homes is getting a shot in the arm. After years of sluggish growth, the 33-year-old Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly is on a growth spurt as states look for ways to provide more home- and community-based care to aging populations. PACE, a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' program, is offered in 32 states to approximately 62,000 participants. In the past year, Kentucky, Missouri and Washington, D.C., added programs, with Illinois planning to launch five programs next year. (Eastabrook, 6/1)

KFF Health News: More States OK Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Beyond Two Months
At least eight states this year have decided to seek federal approval to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage, leaving just a handful that have opted not to guarantee at least a year of health care for women during that critical period after pregnancy. The new states on the list include Montana, where lawmakers in the recently ended legislative session voted for a state budget that contains $6.2 million in state and federal funds over the next two years to extend continuous postpartum eligibility from 60 days to 12 months after pregnancy. That would ensure coverage for between 1,000 and 2,000 additional parents in the state each year, according to federal and state estimates. (Volz, 6/1)