Starting this month, rules that helped Texans maintain Medicaid health insurance during the pandemic are over. Those rules expanded coverage access and allowed recipients to stay enrolled without completing an annual renewal required by federal guidelines.
That means nearly six million Texans who get health insurance through Medicaid will need to go through a redetermination and renewal process. Texas has added about two million people to the Medicaid program since December 2019.
It鈥檚 not clear how many people will lose access to the federal health insurance program because they are no longer eligible under Texas鈥� more restrictive pre-pandemic rules.
Advocates also worry about people who do qualify but can鈥檛 make it through the administrative hurdles required to stay insured.
鈥淭hose applications are not easy to complete, it can take over an hour to complete them. For many鈥ho qualify for these benefits, English is a second language鈥hat can be a barrier,鈥� Butner said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easier to apply for these benefits online, and if they don鈥檛 have access to technology, that can also be a barrier.鈥�
四虎影院 put together a guide to help Medicaid recipients understand the changes. For folks who need help with the process, the state has a tool to or locate offering help.
On Tuesday, outreach workers from the JPS Health Network and the Tarrant Area Food Bank set up shop in the parking lot of the public hospital system鈥檚 Diamond Hill Health Center on Fort Worth鈥檚 Northside to help people sign up for assistance and start the Medicaid renewal process.
Butner expects many people who qualify could lose coverage temporarily because of issues with their paperwork. That means they鈥檒l need help covering medical costs, and will turn to already-stressed services like the food bank.
鈥淚鈥檒l tell you what happens in the meantime: They run out of money for the basic living necessities like rent, utilities, gasoline for the car, and they come to the foodbank because that鈥檚 one place they can go if they can鈥檛 afford groceries,鈥� she said.
The same is true for people disenrolled from Medicaid because they no longer qualify, even though they still earn too little to make ends meet.
Texas is one of 10 states where lawmakers have chosen to forego expanded funding and coverage authorized under the Affordable Care Act, which left about before the pandemic.
A challenging process
Low-income families in Texas have faced a series of setbacks as the pandemic鈥檚 expanded safety net shrinks and inflation continues to eat away at earnings. In March, SNAP benefits were reduced by an average of $212 per household when pandemic-era food stamp policies ended.
Starting this month, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission began sending out renewal notices in with 鈥淎ction Required鈥� printed in bright red. Those who鈥檝e opted for paperless communications will be notified electronically.
People have 30 days to respond and complete every step of the process, or they鈥檒l be disenrolled. If all of the paperwork and requested information is submitted within that 30-day window, coverage will continue while the state works to re-determine eligibility.
People who are determined to no longer qualify for the program will be disenrolled.
鈥淲e urge Medicaid recipients to update their information and to be on the lookout for renewal notices,鈥� said HHS Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young in a statement.
The commission plans to stagger the redeterminations over several months. It鈥檒l take more than a year to complete the process of re-evaluating all 5.9 million Medicaid recipients, even after adding over 1,000 staffers.
Butner points out that the state is already backlogged.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how [the state will] process 5.9 million applications in a timely fashion without impacting people in our community,鈥� Butner said.
Christopher Connelly is 四虎影院's One Crisis Away Reporter, exploring life on the financial edge. Email Christopher atcconnelly@kera.org.You can follow Christopher on Twitter .
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