OVER 32.5 MILLION HAVE THEIR COVERAGE RENEWED
As of February 1, over 16.4 million Medicaid enrollees have lost coverage, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) with 45.1 million renewals still remaining. 33% of those who completed the renewal process disenrolled and 32.5 million enrollees were able to qualify for renewed coverage. The large range of disenrollment rates in each state varies, with the highest of 61% being in Texas and the lowest of 13% in Main. Out of all states with available data, 71% of all those disenrolled were due to procedural reasons.
The Census Bureau announced that they would not change the process of collecting disability statistics, which would have undercounted current disability rates by 40%. The American Association on Health and Disability along with the Lakeshore foundation released a joint statement with the Consortium for Citizen with Disabilities.
The National Health Law Program and others have filed a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission against Deloitte Consulting LLP’s automated eligibility system for the Texas Medicaid program. This system wrongful terminated hundreds of thousands of enrollees in the system, along with other major errors.
The CHIRblog posted on current state public option plans and how they are making progress in lowering consumer costs. These reforms help improve affordability and help expand access to coverage for marginalized communities that face barriers in accessing healthcare.
The Commonwealth Fund reviewed states that have made coverage more affordable for immigrant populations. Additional funding and Medicaid expansion programs have allowed for immigrant populations, that have a 50% uninsured rate, to receive affordable health coverage.
Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families reported on the increase in application volume for Medicaid redeterminations, backing up state systems. As time goes on, an increase in the child uninsured rate proves to be a real issue within the redetermination process, directly impacting children with disabilities.
The Kaiser Family Foundation reported in an issue brief on the initiatives to improve access to youth mental health care services, such as school-based Medicaid behavioral health services. This is due to increased reports of anxiety and depression in adolescents aged 12 to 17.
People with disabilities can qualify for a special enrollment period anytime throughout the year. Navigators who work with people with disabilities who have communication-related needs in the process of applying for health insurance coverage through the Marketplace can review the NDNRC’s latest factsheet on assisting consumers with communication needs, complete with an accessible PDF version.
Archives of our weekly updates are available on the NDNRC website.