As part of the unwinding process, Florida removed the benefits of Medicaid for 1.4 million people. At the same time, 2.8 million people were re-approved for government health care. Because Medicaid coverage ended, recipients had to reapply.
Some were not re-approved, and many were taken off the program for formalities like not sending in forms on time or having the wrong address.
Florida had 56% of its de-enrolled population removed due to different reasons like ageing out of eligibility, no longer being pregnant or having a higher income. Across the country, at least 19.6 million Medicaid enrollees have been withdrawn, and Florida is part of this trend.
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This represents around 30% of enrollees since the Medicaid unwinding process started. There were also a lot of participants in states like California and New York who lost coverage for administrative reasons.
The number of Medicaid disenrollments for non-procedural reasons was higher in Texas and Florida, states that chose not to expand Medicaid. If you lost your Medicaid coverage, it is important to contact the state Medicaid organization to find out why and check if you can still qualify before reapplying.
In Texas, where 2.1 million Medicaid members were eliminated, leaving only 1.9 million enrolled, children accounted for 65% of the unenrolled. Medicaid may be financially eligible for many individuals in Texas, but they cannot receive it unless they have a dependent child under the age of 18.
Many people in Texas lack health insurance as a result of the complicated healthcare system.
According to the KFF investigation, it appears that the Marketplace system declined Medicaid applications based on applicants’ income levels, resulting in the loss of tax credits for many people.
In Texas, only 1.9 million Medicaid participants remained after 2.1 million were dropped from the program.
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The majority of those removed were young people, making up 65% of the unenrolled population. “The health care situation in Texas is very challenging, which is causing many people to go without health insurance in Texas,” Fong said. “An adult may financially qualify for Medicaid in Texas, but they are not able to get Medicaid because they do not have a dependent child under 18.
“The additional complication is if they were to try to apply for a Marketplace plan, they will likely not get any tax credits because the Marketplace system will kick the application out to Medicaid due to their income.”
In states such as Florida and Texas, the Medicaid unwinding process has underscored the difficulties experienced by Medicaid beneficiaries, especially in terms of not being aware of deadlines and requirements, which can result in losing coverage.
The sharp drop in nationwide enrollment highlights the need for improved communication and procedures to ensure beneficiaries are aware of their coverage status. It is advised that those who have lost Medicaid coverage should reapply and understand the eligibility requirements.
