A pandemic-era policy that prevented people from losing or having to re-enroll in Medicaid coverage is expiring on April 1st.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state health insurance program that provides coverage for low-income people. During the pandemic, lawmakers passed a rule that kept people automatically enrolled in the program, even if they no longer met the requirements for coverage.
“Since the pandemic health emergency was declared, the state Medicaid programs and all of them actually have been given extra money by the federal government to retain people in eligibility," said John Lovelace, president, government products at UPMC Health Plan. "Not to make people re-determine their eligibilities. It wasn’t really intended to be a three-year plan but three years later it’s coming to an end.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services released a statement today stating that:
No one will lose Medicaid or CHIP coverage without an opportunity to renew their coverage. Renewals will be completed over a 12-month period, with renewals due in April 2023 the first to be affected by the end of continuous coverage. If a person is found ineligible for coverage or does not complete their renewal on time, their Medicaid coverage will end. Pennsylvanians who are no longer eligible for Medicaid will be referred to other sources of affordable medical coverage, like CHIP and Pennie, so they have no lapse in quality, affordable health care.
There are several ways in which you can re-enroll.
“Several things you can do if you’re not sure," said Lovelace. "Contact your county assistance office. You can call your health plan. You can go to a federal qualified health center they have staff that can help you with determination or you can go online yourself to the Pennsylvania website called Compass.”
In our area, UPMC is prepared for the possibility of coverage gaps.
“We think that the place people will be first surprised is when they go to a pharmacy to pick up a drug and it’s not covered," said Lovelace. "We have materials at pharmacies. We have all various referral connections to help people who aren’t eligible to make connections to other coverage providers like CHIP or marketplace products for adults.”
For more information about Medicaid eligibly visit DHS.PA.GOV