according to Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP), more than 500,000 Missiganders participated in the state’s Medicaid Health Insurance program during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the total number of Medicaid Health Insurances to 3 million. But every time the federal government cancels a public health emergency declared in January 2020, they lose coverage again.
Federal government Family’s first coronavirus response in 2020, Passed in March 2020, guarantees uninterrupted Medicaid coverage for subscribers during a pandemic public health emergency, regardless of revenue changes or other factors. Therefore, despite the cataclysm caused by the pandemic, the country’s uninsured rate actually declined in 2020, primarily due to this ongoing indemnity clause and Medicaid.
” [Families First Act] It was one of the first major things we did as a country to deal with the COVID pandemic. Monique Stanton, President and Chief Executive Officer of MLPP, said: Especially for care coverage during a pandemic, physical and behavioral health care is always required. “
As public health emergencies end, public health and public policy experts say that a huge number of Americans will lose coverage and suffer disastrous health hazards if they are unable to provide the medical care they need. I’m afraid. May 18, 2022, National Focusing on budget and policy priorities The (CBPP) held a briefing to highlight how the state can mitigate this transition by prioritizing three core areas. Streamline the Medicaid update process. We help individuals who are no longer eligible for Medicaid to successfully migrate to other types of programs. The next possible end date will be mid-October, as President Biden has not issued the 60-day notice required to end the current public health emergency that expires in July.
“The unique thing about this moment is that we are really a little confident. This was very difficult during the pandemic. By the end of the public health emergency, at least 5 It turns out that there are months, “says Jennifer. Wagner, CBPP Director of Medicaid Eligibility and Registration. “State authorities have more time to plan and implement changes that protect people’s coverage, as well as examples of best practices from other states, and [the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services]There are many things states can do to minimize the loss of coverage at the end of a public health emergency. “
Pandemic changes can signal Medicaid to move forward
During the pandemic, millions of people face housing instability, many move, and as a result, many have new contact information. Since the beginning of the pandemic, most people have not been in contact with the state Department of Health and Human Services. CBPP staff say it’s time for these agencies to contact the insurance plan and the United States Postal Service for contact information and know when and how subscribers will act to continue their insurance. .. State agencies also need to develop public outreach and resources that are easy to understand and available in multiple languages.
“We don’t have to get things back to their pre-pandemic state. We often see hours of waiting time in call centers, rely only on mailed notifications for important information, and qualified people at the time of renewal. Often I lost coverage and couldn’t find it. They went out until they prescribe or see a doctor, “says Wagner. “This gives the state the opportunity and obligation to implement policies and systems that change the basics of Medicaid, such as how to communicate with registrants, how to partner with community groups and managed care organizations, and how to use electronic data sources. Shown. To confirm eligibility. “
During the briefing, state agencies were asked to adopt user-friendly methods of contacting people (such as text messages and email) as part of efforts to streamline the Medicaid registration process.
“We know that about 97% of people with an annual income of less than $ 30,000 have mobile phones. Text messages are becoming the standard for how individuals want to receive updates and expect them. Needs to deal with this, “says Farah Erzouki. CBPP Senior Policy Analyst. “People often lose coverage for procedural reasons during the renewal process, such as not submitting a form even if they qualify for Medicaid. States can anticipate this by increasing the rate of automatic renewals. increase.”
Michigan is on-going relaxation
Stanton believes that Michigan is heading in the right direction.There are still legislative hurdles to overcome in other states, but here the ball is already in court Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).
“MLPP does not necessarily seek investment in law or funding. We are working with MDHHS, providers and Medicaid health insurance to ensure that we have a strong, simple and efficient strategy. We try to catch as many people as possible and get them recertified in a timely manner, “says Stanton. “One of our first big questions was to get the most out of the time Michigan was allotted to do this.”
MLPP’s additional recommendations for MDHHS include involving local partners and stakeholders to help shape Michigan’s plans for a “rewind” from public health emergencies. It will be. By partnering with Medicaid’s managed care and community-based organizations, you can ensure effective communication with people currently in Medicaid. During the pandemic, more virtual options for registration became available. By continuing to allow Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) subscribers to renew online, by phone, and directly, you can continue to indemnify qualified individuals. When people are deregistered, bureaucrats by noting that they are not eligible, rather than being unable to complete the recertification process, and then following up to re-register those who are difficult to contact. You can reduce the number of Michigan bureaucrats that pass through bureaucratic cracks.
“Another recommendation is to increase the rate of Medicaid and CHIP updates completed through the assessment system. Use other third-party electronic data sources to qualify,” Stanton said. say. “You can use SNAP eligibility to verify that this person is also eligible for Medicaid, which can also ease the burden on some workers’ staff.”
Continuing the scope of Medicaid not only benefits registered people, but also services healthcare systems and providers, especially vulnerable people such as the homeless and those experiencing substance use disorders. We support the people who provide it.
“Working with the people they serve to make sure they’re doing that recertification is a big part,” says Stanton. “Are we sure that this person is actually ineligible, or are we simply losing contact with them and making sure they are floating somewhere in the state?” “
Another important part of the transition is to ensure that people who are no longer eligible for Medicaid are connected to employer-based health insurance or health insurance marketplaces for affordable coverage.
“If they disqualify from Medicaid, we want to make sure there is a good process to connect them so they can meet their medical needs,” says Stanton. “We want them to be able to maintain that level of health insurance.”
To relieve public health emergencies, MDHHS’s current strategies include: Send notifications to Medicaid beneficiaries and provide webins Get information from providers and other community partners Rewind toolkit..In addition, that The website is constantly updated Use the latest information when your department restarts the process and releases updated policies. Michigans using Medicaid can begin the renewal process in mid-June by updating their contact information and reporting household or income changes online. michigan.gov/mibridges.. An update form will be mailed to you every year. Unless online or phone options have been added according to the MLPP recommendations, they will need to be filled out and returned. MDHHS shares rewind information via text messaging, websites, Facebook, Twitter, and radio ads.
“The most important thing for us is to make sure this is a well-thought-out seamless process,” says Stanton. “Currently, more than 3 million people are enrolled in Medicaid, so we need to ensure that they can meet their medical needs.”
Estelle Slootmaker is an active writer with a focus on journalism, book editing, communication, poetry and children’s books. Estelle.Slootmaker@gmail.com or www.constellations.biz..
Lead photo by Adobe Stock. Photo courtesy of Monique Stanton: Monique Stanton.
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