Unwinding Continuous Medicaid Enrollment

This article explores the implications of ending the continuous Medicaid enrollment provision established during the Covid-19 pandemic under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Authors outline the challenges states face in reviewing eligibility for more than 90 million enrollees, given administrative churn, disparities in Medicaid expansion, and the urgency to avoid lapses in coverage. It details policy shifts from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, risks of rapid disenrollment particularly in nonexpansion states, and potential increases in uninsured populations. The article also discusses state-level strategies for careful unwinding, outreach, and continuity of care considerations, while highlighting the broader issue of unstable coverage in the U.S. health system.

This article explores the implications of ending the continuous Medicaid enrollment provision established during the Covid-19 pandemic under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Authors outline the challenges states face in reviewing eligibility for more than 90 million enrollees, given administrative churn, disparities in Medicaid expansion, and the urgency to avoid lapses in coverage. It details policy shifts from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, risks of rapid disenrollment particularly in nonexpansion states, and potential increases in uninsured populations. The article also discusses state-level strategies for careful unwinding, outreach, and continuity of care considerations, while highlighting the broader issue of unstable coverage in the U.S. health system.