Just two states — Florida and Montana — have not taken up any temporary waivers from CMS designed to simplify Medicaid renewals.
CMS and HHS officials have urged states to do more to prevent procedural terminations of coverage, after early data showed many people disenrolled from Medicaid coverage were dropped because they did not return required paperwork, states could not contact them or other administrative issues.
"Given the high number of people losing coverage due to administrative processes, I urge you to review your state's currently elected flexibilities and consider going further to take up existing and new policy options that we have offered to protect eligible individuals and families from procedural termination," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra wrote in a June 12 letter to governors.
CMS introduced new flexibilities for states on June 12, in addition to a set of strategies first published in March 2022.
State agencies can apply to CMS for waivers to make the Medicaid redetermination process smoother, which includes strategies like enrolling or renewing Medicaid beneficiaries already deemed eligible for SNAP benefits and partnering with managed care plans to update beneficiaries' contact information.
As of June 13, only Florida and Montana had elected not to use any of CMS' strategies, according to the agency's website.
On a June 13 call with reporters, Daniel Tsai, deputy CMS administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, said some states "could do more" to adopt CMS' federal waivers.
"We're urging states to take up as many of the strategies and federal waivers we have put on the table over the past year and a half, that all have the effect of making the Medicaid renewal process simpler and easier for people — meaning you're not chasing a piece of paper," Mr. Tsai said.
As of June 12, Florida had disenrolled 249,000 people from its Medicaid rolls, according to KFF. Of those disenrolled, 82 percent were because of procedural reasons, according to the analysis.
Montana began disenrolling members in June, according to KFF's analysis.