Nearly 500,000 people have been kicked out of Medicaid in Virginia as the state implements its rollback process.
During the pandemic, the federal government froze all Medicaid eligibility requirements and allowed Americans to remain on government-run health insurance without reapplying or proving additional eligibility.
Since April of last year, however, states have been removing Medicaid recipients as they reset rules on who qualifies for coverage.
In Virginia, more than 480,000 residents have been dropped from state health care coverage as of this month, the state’s health care tracker shows.
During the pandemic, about two million Virginians were covered by Medicaid. Another 69,000 people are awaiting Medicaid redetermination in the state.
Medicaid: On the tightrope
It is highly likely that the patients who were eliminated were deemed ineligible due to the financial requirements for the government program. To qualify, a person’s income must be at or below 80 percent of the federal poverty level.
Despite not meeting the financial threshold, many beneficiaries and health care experts are concerned about how the dismantling process could affect health care in the United States in the long term.
Some beneficiaries were barred from Medicaid coverage after getting a part-time job that raised their income above the limit.
Unlike many full-time jobs, part-time work often does not include health coverage, leaving many Americans uninsured for life-saving treatments and medications.
A significant number of Americans also had their Medicaid dropped due to procedural issues, such as missing a deadline or changing their address.
According to health research firm KFF, 55 percent of people who lost their Medicaid coverage in Virginia lost their insurance for procedural reasons. That means many could still qualify without having access to the program.
The state Medicaid program typically mails a renewal packet to determine eligibility, but coverage will be canceled for those who do not submit the necessary documentation within 30 days.
A delay in mail or a change of address could jeopardize residents’ health insurance.
According to the most recent figures from KFF, nearly 25 million Americans have lost their Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage since last year.
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