FCC OKs Medicaid agency robocalls

The Federal Communications Commission said federal and state governments — as well as their partners — can make Medicaid enrollment calls and text messages without violating robocall and robotext prohibitions. 

The green light comes as states gear up to begin Medicaid eligibility redeterminations April 1. HHS has asserted that "state government agencies and their partners must be able to reach large numbers of enrollees with information about retaining their enrollment in these health coverage programs," according to a Jan. 23 FCC news release. 

The FCC's ruling confirmed that enrollees' inclusion of a telephone number on a Medicaid coverage or other government program application constitutes "prior express consent to be contacted at that number regarding enrollment eligibility," according to the release. 

The nation has been under continuous Medicaid enrollment since early 2020, which allowed 17.7 million people to gain coverage — a 25 percent increase in the program. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Urban Institute estimated in December that 18 million could lose Medicaid coverage when the continuous enrollment provision ends.

In a survey released Nov. 15 by the RWJ Foundation, 62 percent of Medicaid members or those with family enrolled said they have heard nothing about future Medicaid redeterminations.

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