“The Great Unwinding” has begun.
For those with Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), that means it’s time to apply for renewal.
For the past three years, those who qualify for Medicaid and CHIP have been automatically renewed because of protections created as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those protections ended April 1.
Rhonda Culp, director of care coordination for Thrive Allen County, expects many area residents will lose Medicaid coverage as a result. She estimates it could be as many as a quarter of those currently enrolled. It may come as a surprise to some, so she and her team are working to minimize the impact.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act required states to allow Medicaid recipients to stay enrolled even if their eligibility changed. Also, the emergency protections meant more families qualified for coverage.
Now, the rules revert to pre-pandemic levels. It allows states to kick people off Medicaid if their eligibility has changed.
Why might someone be kicked off?
Culp says there are many reasons, but it mostly comes down to if your circumstances have changed. That can include a change of income, a change in family status or age.
For example, eligibility for CHIP ends when a child turns 19. During the pandemic, those young adults remained eligible. They’ll now lose coverage, unless they qualify in another way.
“A lot of things can change in two or three years,” Culp said.
Everyone who had coverage through Medicaid and CHIP during the pandemic will need to apply for an annual renewal. Again, Culp said, that could be a surprise to many families, especially those who became eligible during the pandemic. They’ve never had to complete a renewal application before.
The state began sending renewal packets through the mail starting in mid-March. If not renewed, many families could face a termination of benefits by April 30 though Kansas has up to 18 months to complete the unwinding process.
“We’ve been preparing for the unwinding for a while,” Culp said. “We’re educating people to make sure their information is updated with the state so they receive those renewal packets and don’t get terminated.”
Thrive’s care coordinators can help families navigate the renewal process, especially for those who haven’t gone through it before. If you haven’t received a renewal packet, contact Thrive for help.
And for those who are no longer eligible for Medicaid and CHIP, care coordinators also can help them enroll in health insurance programs through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at marketplace.gov.
Open enrollment for the ACA typically begins in November and ends in January, but if you lose coverage because of The Great Unwinding, it will be considered a special event and you can enroll as soon as you receive a denial letter from Medicaid.
“We don’t want anybody to go uncovered,” Culp said. “We want to ensure Kansans can maintain their health.”
Even families who live outside Allen County can get help. Jenny Tatman, assistant director for Thrive Kansas, noted the organization works with a system of organizations throughout the state. They can find someone nearby who can help.
