Normally, states will review (or "redetermine") whether people enrolled in Medicaid or the CHIP program are still eligible to be covered by it on a monthly (or in some cases, quarterly, I believe) basis.
However, the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), passed by Congress at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, included a provision requiring state Medicaid programs to keep people enrolled through the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). In return, states received higher federal funding to the tune of billions of dollars.
As a result, there are tens of millions of Medicaid/CHIP enrollees who didn't have their eligibility status redetermined for as long as three years.
In February 2024, 83,387,167 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, a decrease of 654,280 individuals (0.8%) from January 2024.
76,289,951 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid in February 2024, a decrease of 640,417 individuals (0.8%) from January 2024.
7,097,216 individuals were enrolled in CHIP in February 2024, a decrease of 13,863 individuals (0.2%) from January 2024
As of February 2024, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP has decreased by 10,480,839 individuals (11.2%) since March 2023, the final month of the Medicaid continuous enrollment condition under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
Medicaid enrollment has decreased by 10,440,608 individuals (12.0%).
CHIP enrollment has decreased by 40,231 individuals (0.6%).
Between February 2020 and March 2023, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP increased by 22,992,937 individuals (32.4%) to 93,868,006.
Medicaid enrollment increased by 22,650,766 individuals (35.3%).
CHIP enrollment increased by 342,171 individuals (5.0%).
A former Democratic Senate majority leader and former HHS secretary are calling on the Biden administration to correct a longstanding loophole in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) they say is preventing the law from permitting as much cost-free access to vaccines for patients as is intended, joining a bipartisan group of lawmakers and a coalition of health groups that have asked top HHS officials to make the change in recent months.
OK, I'm back from the Doctors for America conference! I'll be posting a write-up about that soon, but in the meantime I have a backlog of healthcare policy developments to catch up on...
Oregon becomes 3rd in nation to seek federal approval for a basic health program
A group of volunteer advisors to the Oregon Health Authority has voted Tuesday to make the state the third in the nation to seek federal approval for a basic health program.
...The Oregon Health Policy Board voted unanimously to approve Oregon’s blueprint application. It was the last step in a lengthy policy-making process needed for state approval of the plan after a task force last year recommended moving forward with it.
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics on the pressing issues of the day to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation.
I've been following this bill for awhile now but never got around to writing about it until after it passed through both chambers of the Illinois legislature. That's a shame, because it's a pretty Big F*cking Deal for Illinois residents.
The Illinois House passed the Healthcare Protection Act Saturday to help curb predatory insurance practices and protect consumers.
Gov. JB Pritzker's monumental plan could make Illinois the first state to ban prior authorization for in-patient adult and children's mental healthcare. The legislation also bans step therapy, or the fail first method, where insurers force people to receive less effective treatment before moving to options initially recommended by doctors.
...The measure requires prior approval from the Department of Insurance before large group insurance plans can increase rates and states premiums must align with the actual cost of providing care as well.
Pennie Has Issued a New Request for Proposal (RFP) for an Enrollment Assister Contract to Expand Support Across Pennsylvania Communities
Pennie is seeking an organization to build grassroots awareness and provide direct enrollment assistance to Pennsylvanians seeking health coverage. Proposals due at 1 pm on June 27th.
Harrisburg, PA – May 2024 – Pennie, PA’s official health insurance marketplace, has issued a Request for Proposal for Assister Services. The awardee will collaboratively drive statewide activities to increase awareness of the financial help and health coverage available through Pennie, and work directly with community organizations to provide local, in-person enrollment assistance.
CMS Approves State Plan Amendments Extending Postpartum Coverage in Nevada
May 3: CMS marked another important maternal health milestone by approving Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) postpartum coverage extensions in Nevada, an opportunity made possible through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Nationally, people across 46 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S.V.I. now have access to Medicaid and CHIP coverage for a full 12 months following pregnancy — up from just 60 days before the ARP.
Today, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra released the following statement after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data - PDF showing the uninsurance rate holding steady at 7.7 percent:
“Under President Biden’s leadership more people have health coverage than under any previous president. Even more encouraging, the data released today does not reflect the record-breaking open enrollment period that saw over 21 million people sign up for insurance. The Biden-Harris Administration will redouble our efforts to make sure tax breaks for working families stay in place so that every single person in America can go to the doctor and afford the care that will keep them and their families healthy.”
Wyomingites may be skeptical of Obamacare, but many use it for health insurance
(sigh)
Wyoming leaders have repeatedly rejected Medicaid expansion, but a new study shows many residents here rely on another component of the Affordable Care Act: the health insurance marketplace.
Among 10 states with the highest share of farmers, Wyoming uses the federal health insurance marketplace the most, according to a new analysis by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. That marketplace is a virtual space for comparing plans and finding insurance that’s often more affordable than elsewhere thanks to federal subsidies.
