On March 31st, the 'Unwinding' process begins.
What does this mean for us and our communities? Many of us may be ineligible, creating a huge gap in families healthcare, and a new budget challenge.
Most Medicaid enrollees have kept their coverage without interruption throughout the pandemic.
Medicaid enrollment has grown by over 30% to nearly 84 million people - about 1 in four in the US>
Medicaid offices have historically high case loads. Experts predict that 18 million are at risk of losing coverage, while 7 million may remain eligible.
Can we imagine such? This is a huge risk for children and people of color. There is red tape around accessing healthcare. People of color are disproportionately at risk. 64% of Latinos, 50% of Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders and 39% of Black non-Latinos are at risk of losing healthcare.
States can begin terminating coverage on April 1st. Each state has its own approach to starting case renewals - but it can take up to 90 days to initiate a renewal!
Some enrollees may start receiving notices as soon as next month. This means to check mail and get on top of your healthcare as soon as you can! Keep your family covered. Have you moved and no longer at the access? Make sure you can see your Medicaid status - check online and be aware of your status.
We hope that state Medicaid will support our communities. We need to make healthcare simple and easy to access for ALL.
We need to support people in transitioning to other coverage and prepare ourselves for the unwinding. Lack of continuous coverage is a huge issue and we need to be sure we are spreading awareness of keeping ourselves safe.
Make sure to complete your renewal form. Fill out and return to your Medicaid/CHIP right away to avoid a gap in coverage.
The TIME IS NOW!
