HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra urged states to ensure that they are implementing "every possible option to prevent eligible individuals" from losing Medicaid coverage during the redetermination process, CNN reported March 9.
Mr. Becerra said in a letter that states could lose augmented federal Medicaid funding for the rest of the year if they do not comply with requirements in their eligibility reviews, according to the report.
States must attempt to ensure they have up-to-date contact information for enrollees and reach out to beneficiaries through multiple methods before dropping coverage based on returned mail, according to the report. States are also required to report monthly renewals and terminations.
State agencies face a number of hurdles during the redetermination process, according to the report. Many are short-staffed and are working with outdated technology. Having out-of-date beneficiary contact information has long been an issue but could be exacerbated by more people changing addresses during the COVID-19 pandemic.