New York health officials are beginning the process this month of trimming people from Medicaid and other forms of public insurance for which they no longer qualify – generally with the goal of ensuring that anyone whose eligibility has changed is moved onto a different type of health insurance.
Early data shows that most of the New Yorkers flagged in the reviews are taking the necessary steps to prevent any lapse in health coverage, but that young adults may need an extra nudge.
The vetting is part of an unwinding of some COVID-19-inspired safety net protections.
As people lost jobs and income during the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment in Medicaid exploded – from about 6 million people in March 2020 to nearly 8 million this past April, according to state data. This is the first time that members are being asked to actively renew their coverage and prove their eligibility since spring 2020.
This review process also applies to those enrolled in the Essential Plan, which provides similar coverage as Medicaid but has a higher income limit, and Child Health Plus, which covers New Yorkers under 19.
The process is taking place on a rolling basis, starting with those whose coverage was set to expire on June 30. Early data from the state indicates that most of those who have had to renew their coverage so far have done so ahead of the deadline. But renewal rates have so far been lower for young adults.
As of June 30, about 72% of the 558,923 people in this first cohort have either successfully re-enrolled in the same health plan or in another state-sponsored plan, according to the data. But among 18-to-34- year-olds, the figure was 62%.
The data does not capture people who enrolled in an employer health plan or other insurance that is not offered on the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace. So, it’s possible that a greater portion of younger New Yorkers simply gained new employment since the start of the pandemic.
And some people may just be procrastinating. This…
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