Biden urges employers as 3.8M Americans face Medicaid loss.

Millions Transitioning to Medicaid Coverage: ⁢Employers Urged to Keep Employees Insured

The Biden administration has ⁢reached out to companies, urging them to prioritize ‌the insurance ⁣coverage of ⁤their employees as they transition to Medicaid.

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid coverage terminations were temporarily halted until March 31, 2023. ⁤Now, state Medicaid agencies are resuming ⁣regular operations, renewing coverage for eligible⁤ individuals, and terminating it for those who no longer qualify.

As a result ‌of this transition, approximately 3.8 million individuals are expected to lose their Medicaid eligibility​ and may ⁢need ⁢to ⁤explore alternative coverage options, including employment-based coverage.

In⁣ a ⁣letter addressed ⁤to employers, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), emphasized the importance of providing individuals who have lost Medicaid coverage with⁣ the opportunity to enroll in group health plans through a special enrollment period over the next year.

“The⁢ Biden-Harris Administration is calling on employers and other plan ​sponsors to ensure that employees⁤ and their families remain connected to coverage, including through extending the period for special enrollment under the group health plans they sponsor,” Ms. Brooks-LaSure wrote in her letter (pdf).

Medicaid is a‍ health insurance program designed to provide coverage for lower-income individuals. While the program ‌receives significant​ financial support from the‍ federal government, it ‍is primarily administered by individual states.

Companies are legally required to offer their employees a minimum of 60 days to enroll⁤ in their group health ⁢plans. However, Ms.​ Brooks-LaSure argues that this ‌timeframe is inadequate considering the large number of individuals who have recently lost Medicaid coverage.

“Given the exceptional circumstances surrounding the resumption of Medicaid and CHIP ⁢renewals for the first time in three years, many individuals will need more than the typical‍ 60-day ​window after‌ loss of Medicaid or CHIP coverage to apply for and⁣ enroll in ⁣other ‌coverage,” she wrote.

According to KFF, a nonprofit⁣ organization focused on health research, over 3 million people from 33 states have lost their ⁢Medicaid coverage since April.