While nearly 21.5 million Americans selected Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) via the federal and state ACA exchanges/marketplaces during the official 2024 Open Enrollment Period (along with an additional 1.3 million signing up for a Basic Health Plan (BHP) program in New York & Minnesota, which CMS continues to inexplicably treat as an afterthought in such reports), not all of them actually pay their first monthly premium (for January) for various reasons:
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.
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%).
In response, a couple of weeks later the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a statement about the actions they're taking to resolve the issue.
President Joe Biden is set to announce that his administration is expanding eligibility for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges to hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter.
The action will allow participants in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to access government-funded health insurance programs. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before the formal announcement on Thursday.
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 January 2024, 84,041,447 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, a decrease of 1,056,384 individuals (1.2%) from December 2023.
76,930,368 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid in January 2024, a decrease of 983,655 individuals (1.3%) from December 2023.
7,111,079 individuals were enrolled in CHIP in January 2024, a decrease of 72,729 individuals (1.0%) from December 2023.
As of January 2024, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP has decreased by 9,826,559 individuals (10.5%) 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 9,800,191 individuals (11.3%).
CHIP enrollment has decreased by 26,368 individuals (0.4%).
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%).
CMS is committed to protecting consumers in the Marketplace. CMS has received reports of consumers in HealthCare.gov states whose coverage was switched by agents and brokers without their knowledge. In response, CMS is taking swift actions to protect consumers from unauthorized activity by agents and brokers, and to root out bad actors who are violating CMS rules.
