Medicaid has served as a crucial safety net for millions of Americans. It extends support to individuals grappling with severe, sudden health crises, as well as those confronting persistent, long-term health conditions. However, a worrisome trend is unfolding within the Medicaid program on a state-by-state basis, causing some individuals to lose their healthcare coverage.
The issue at hand is known as "Medicaid unwinding," and it’s worse in some states than it is in others. This means that some people who were previously covered by Medicaid are now finding themselves without it. This presents a significant problem because our goal is to ensure that all chronic patients have access to essential healthcare and can receive the regular medical attention they require.
You can see the impacts of Medicaid unwinding state-by-state here.
A Unified Effort to Make a Difference
In response to this trend, the Chronic Disease Coalition, in collaboration with numerous other advocacy groups, is taking proactive steps. We are urging states to employ innovative and adaptable approaches to help individuals maintain their healthcare coverage during these challenging times – and there are many tools in the toolbox.
Back in April, states began reassessing who is eligible for Medicaid following the pandemic declaration expirations. However, there's a complication: many individuals are losing their Medicaid coverage due to intricate rules or because they failed to receive the necessary paperwork in a timely manner. This is not fair and has the potential to harm their health.
Tools Available to States:
We are advocating for states to take significant measures to ensure individuals retain their healthcare:
- Leveraging Other Programs: States can examine other programs, such as those providing food assistance or financial aid, to determine whether someone is still eligible for Medicaid. This streamlines the process and simplifies it for individuals trying to retain their healthcare coverage.
- Assisting with Forms: States can authorize healthcare experts to assist individuals in completing the required forms. This reduces confusion and ensures that people don't lose their coverage because of paperwork-related issues.
- Aiding in Regaining Medicaid: In cases where individuals lose their Medicaid due to a lack of awareness about the renewal process, states can authorize other organizations, such as pharmacies or community groups, to verify whether they still qualify. This can expedite the process of reinstating healthcare coverage.
Chronic patients, specifically, have distinctive healthcare requirements because they contend with regular, serious health issues or disabilities. States can allocate additional time to engage with these individuals and provide assistance in retaining their healthcare coverage.
Why This Matters:
Preserving access to healthcare is crucial to supporting the health of our communities. Without healthcare coverage, obtaining essential medication and medical attention becomes challenging, potentially exacerbating existing health problems. Our aim is to encourage states to employ these specialized methods to guarantee that no one loses the healthcare coverage they need.
Ultimately, our objective is to keep everyone in good health and feeling their best. We hope that states will heed our advice and adopt these innovative approaches to ensure that nobody loses access to the healthcare they require.