Medicaid Redetermination

In early 2020 when the Pandemic began, the federal government enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) to help families deal with the ongoing crisis. Part of that act required states to keep people continuously enrolled in Medicaid programs until the public health emergency ended. Medicaid is a joint effort between states and the federal government. In the case of the FFCRA, the federal government provided enhanced matching Medicaid funds to the states that complied.

However, as the public health crisis winds down, so will the enhanced funding. Knowing this, the states have been waiting for a date when continuous Medicaid enrollment ends, and they will have to begin the redetermination process. From healthinsurance.org, “Medicaid redetermination is the process that states use to ensure that Medicaid enrollees continue to be eligible for Medicaid coverage.” This process usually occurs each year, but it has been on hold because of the public health crisis. The new date to begin this process is now April 1, 2023.

This new date comes with concerns about the loss of Medicaid coverage eligibility for people who remained eligible during the public health crisis, how the states will be able to handle the workload over the next year, and more.

Read more about this developing issue from fiercehealthcare.com and kff.com (Kaiser Family Foundation).