Hundreds of thousands of Georgians who had health insurance through Medicaid during the pandemic could start losing coverage this spring under federal spending bills announced this week.
Congress’ proposal ends pandemic-era rules that require states to continue to cover Medicaid subscribers even if they are no longer eligible under state eligibility rules. It is included in the passed federal coronavirus law.
Under the terms of the $1.7 trillion spending package, millions of people across the country will be disbursed under a process that could begin as early as April 1 if Congress passes a federal appropriations bill. People (including about 545,000 Georgians, according to one state estimate) could lose coverage.
A group of Republican governors, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, sent a letter to President Joe Biden this week asking him not to renew the public health emergency declaration after April.
The governor’s plea comes as the state continues to grapple with the “triple epidemic” of rising COVID-19, flu, and RSV cases this winter, threatening to strain hospitals this winter. I have.
“The virus will be with us for a while, but the emergency phase of the pandemic has passed,” the 25 governors wrote in a Dec. 19 letter to Biden. “We’ve come this far since the pandemic started. We now have the tools and information we need to protect our community from COVID-19.”
The state of emergency is set to expire on January 15th, but the Biden administration has extended it again and is expected to last until at least April. However, the proposed spending bill would decouple the so-called Medicaid unwinding process from the federal state of emergency declaration.
In Georgia, Medicaid enrollment increased from about 1.8 million pre-pandemic to about 2.6 million.
The increase includes additional federal funding to help state budgeters weather the public health crisis, providing Georgia with about $2.2 billion in fiscal relief, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. brought .
The state closed the last fiscal year with a surplus of $6.6 billion, and revenue in the first five months of the new budget year was 6.2% ($741.7 million) higher than this time last year.
But even with federal backing, Republican leaders claim the rule cost the state “hundreds of millions of dollars,” the letter said.
According to the letter, “PHE artificially increases the population primarily eligible for Medicaid (both traditional and expanded populations) regardless of whether individuals continue to be eligible under the program. This is having a negative impact on the state.”
Until the state goes through a process to identify people who are no longer eligible for coverage, for example, because they’ve aged out of the program or their income levels have changed, we won’t get a clear picture of costs. said Kemp spokesman Andrew Eisenhour.
That said, states have spent about $37.5 billion on benefits for Medicaid participants since the pandemic began, Isenhour said.
Under the proposed omnibus, states’ enhanced federal coherence would be phased out over the next year, and continued coverage for children from low-income households would also be required for a year.
“Life Saver”
Health care advocates are urging Georgia officials to move cautiously as this critical pandemic-era rule that guarantees health care coverage for a wide range of Georgians ends.
The policy has been successful, says Leah Chang, a senior health analyst at the Georgia Institute for Budget Policy.
“At a time of uncertainty for both health and the economy, this policy has connected nearly 3 million Georgians to affordable health insurance and brought financial relief to the state,” Chan said. says.
It’s important to set a date for the federal government to begin rolling back Medicaid so that state officials, Medicaid-managed care organizations, community leaders, and others can prepare, she said.
“But we can’t go back to the pre-pandemic state when Georgia had the highest uninsured rate in the country,” Chan said. “During the Medicaid rollback planning process, we have a unique opportunity to adapt what has worked and build on the success of this policy so families in Georgia will continue to be covered.”
Laura Colbert, executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, a consumer advocacy nonprofit, called Medicaid a “lifesaver” for people and the state during the pandemic.
“With its continued coverage protection, children, pregnant and new parents, and others in Georgia will be able to stay insured, stay insured, and affordably priced in the midst of a highly unpredictable pandemic. We can now access medical services at a price,” she said.
Federal and state investments in Medicaid should align with reality on the ground, Colbert said, pointing to the triple epidemic of COVID-19 and influenza and low vaccination rates.
“State and federal leaders must consider these ongoing challenges and adjust Medicaid funding and protection as needed,” Colbert said. As one of the states with the highest rates, we warn against rushing toward the end of PHE where Medicaid’s ongoing coverage protection ends.
“As a result, between 245,000 and 545,000 Georgians are expected to be temporarily or permanently uninsured. More than half of the newly uninsured will be children,” she added.
In the meantime, state agencies are encouraging Georgians eligible for Medicaid to update their contact information through their Gateway accounts.
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