The Department of Health and Human Services Thursday disclosed it is extending a temporary special enrollment period (SEP) to help people who have lost Medicaid coverage due to the so-called unwinding. Upwards of 1 million older adults and people with disabilities likely have been casualties of the disenrollment process.
The end date of the “unwinding SEP” now will extend to Nov. 30, 2024, from July 31, 2024. HHS said in the announcement that this will help people who have lost Medicaid coverage transition to the Health Insurance Marketplace in states using healthcare.gov.
“The actions we are announcing today, like those we have taken over the past year, demonstrate that HHS is committed to ensuring Medicaid and CHIP coverage for all who are eligible,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We are helping those who will now qualify for Marketplace coverage obtain it. We encourage states to use all the strategies and resources we have provided them to carry out renewals of coverage. We will continue to monitor the renewal process and make sure federal requirements are being followed.”
On Wednesday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a division of HHS, finalized a rule that would ease Medicaid eligibility requirements and reduce sign-up challenges to the program.
Also this month, HHS shared a document for states regarding proper protocols for conducting Medicaid renewals. Last year, it came to light that many people were being disenrolled from Medicaid for simple procedural reasons. The unwinding is the result of the end of COVID-19 eligibility requirements.
Damon Terzaghi, director of Medicaid HCBS for the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, said that Thursday’s development fails to address the needs of older adults and many people with disabilities affected by the unwinding. Those who receive Medicare in addition to Medicaid cannot access the Marketplace exchange, and Medicaid offers extensive long-term supports that are not available elsewhere, he explained.
“Though today’s announcement is primarily applicable to children, families and working-age adults without disabilities, we recognize that there are also some participants with disabilities who may benefit as well,” he told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “We believe that the Medicaid eligibility regulations released this week, coupled with today’s announcement, will increase access to important services that participants rely upon. We also know that there continue to be challenges with renewals for people who rely on Medicaid home care services. We ask CMS to encourage and, where allowable, require states to share more information with the home care provider community so that they can assist their clients with timely renewals and avoid lapses in coverage.”
Terzaghi, who has been tracking disenrollments of older adults and people with disabilities, believes that 9% of total disenrollments comprise these populations. That totals around 1.9 million people, he said — and that could be an underestimate.
“As I’ve said before, I think that the numbers undercount the reality due to the lack of specificity around these groups,” he said. “I remain concerned about these individuals falling through the cracks and losing access to needed services that aren’t available via the exchange and Medicare.”
This is a development story. Please check back for updates.
