When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the federal government declared a public health emergency, which helped expand access to testing, treatment and telehealth options. It also and ensured no one would lose coverage during the pandemic.
But , which means millions of Texans could lose coverage for the first time in three years. Here are some key things to know as protections come to an end.
How many people does this affect?
The latest data from January 2023 shows about 5.8 million Texans are currently enrolled in Medicaid. That includes parents, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and pregnant people. About 2 million people have been added to Medicaid since December 2019, and have retained coverage since then.
Diana Forester, , said there are a few reasons for the increase in enrolled Medicaid patients.
鈥淲e have a bigger population,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e keep having people move to Texas. And then we know COVID affected families financially, and with inflation, people are struggling a lot more than they were before. I think a lot of people who are eligible since we鈥檝e been in this time period haven鈥檛 been on benefits before.鈥�
What鈥檚 happening now that continuous enrollment in Medicaid is ending?
Continuous enrollment is set to end on March 31. , which oversees enrollment in public health programs in the state, sent out information online and through the mail on this deadline and ways to re-enroll for people who are eligible.
But Forester has some worries about the process: this is the first time many people will have to do a renewal, which she says can be daunting. She's also worried people might not get notice of the change in the mail if they've moved.
鈥淭he bad address thing really hampers the ability for people to receive information timely and to be able to respond timely,鈥� she said.
Another issue is processing time: HHSC usually has . The shows that鈥檚 accurate for about half of applications, but the other half are taking beyond 45 days.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not doing any renewals right now, and they still have a backlog,鈥� said Forester. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e in the best place that we could be in preparation for this, and it鈥檚 this huge, monumental task. It鈥檚 the perfect storm, unfortunately.鈥�
Who is most at risk?
Forester said she鈥檚 concerned for pregnant people, who will now lose coverage two months after giving birth. That鈥檚 because Texas has yet to expand Medicaid coverage. About a half million Texans are currently on pregnancy Medicaid, according to HHSC data from January 2023.
Texas is in the top 15 states in the country for , with bleeding, mental health issues and chronic conditions as some of the leading causes of death.
鈥淧eople are coming into pregnancy not healthy, and so they're having really rough outcomes with their pregnancies,鈥� she said.
Texas lawmakers have introduced bills extending pregnancy Medicaid coverage to 12 months postpartum this legislative session. Forester said extending coverage will help .
鈥淓xtended coverage in other states has been around for a while now,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of data out there that shows that having continued access to health care leads to less preterm babies, less low birth weight babies, less maternal mortality, and overall, a better first year of life for that baby.鈥�
What can people do if they鈥檙e on Medicaid now or unsure of their eligibility?
People can begin the renewal process online at , over the phone by calling 2-1-1 or 877-541-7905, or in person at an HHSC office or community partner. The state鈥檚 website has a tool to or a based on county and zip code. But Forester encourages people to start early.
鈥淚f you can get electronic access to your case, that is the best way to get timely updates on what's happening,鈥� she said.
She encourages people to make sure HHSC has all their updated information, including address, cell phone number and email, plus if anyone has changed jobs or already had their baby.
If people wait, Forester said it might take a while to get connected to someone who can help.
鈥淲e know wait times are going to be crazy, and we know it鈥檚 going to be really hard,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have this cushion right now. March is our golden month. Let's try to get our updated info in so that we don't have to freak out when we get those notices in April.鈥�
Got a tip? Email Elena Rivera at erivera@kera.org. You can follow Elena on Twitter .
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