A new 50 state survey published March 16 by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows how states are preparing for the end of the Medicaid continuous enrollment requirement.
States are required to provide continuous coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries through the public health emergency to receive enhanced federal funding.
With that emergency expected to expire in the coming months, states may begin disenrollment, and millions of individuals nationwide face the loss of coverage, according to KFF.
The survey says that states are required to develop a plan for when the continuous coverage requirement is lifted, but only about half had completed one as of January.
Eight key takeaways from the survey:
- Among states with a plan: Eleven will first target individuals who appear to no longer be eligible. Eight states will conduct fresh renewals based on the individual's renewal month. Eight states have opted for a hybrid approach. Three states have not decided yet whether to begin disenrollments before the public health emergency ends and lose enhanced federal funding.
- Fifteen states will use data to target enrollees for priority action who may no longer be eligible after the public health emergency ends.
- Forty-two states report conducting "ex parte" renewals, which are processed automatically using available data.
- Forty-one states will follow up with enrollees when the enrollee must take action to avoid a loss of coverage.
- Forty-six states will try to update enrollees' mailing addresses, including through data matches with the federal government.
- Thirty-five states say they will follow up on returned mail via telephone, email and text before terminating an enrollee's coverage.
- Thirty states will increase staff through approving overtime, hiring new eligibility workers or borrowing staff from other agencies.
- Forty-one states have the data systems necessary to report the percentage of individuals who are disenrolled because they are ineligible versus the percentage who are disenrolled for procedural reasons.
After the survey's completion, CMS provided guidance to state officials March 3 to assist with planning efforts.