With pandemic protections guaranteeing Medicaid coverage now gone, many states have begun unenrolling certain individuals — a process that could lead around 15 million people to lose coverage over the next year.
A deep dive into the end of the COVID PHE
Millions of Americans could lose Medicaid coverage
In 2020, states that received enhanced Medicaid funding were prohibited from dropping individuals from the program during the COVID-19 public health emergency. During the pandemic, Medicaid enrollment increased significantly, and over 91 million people were enrolled in either Medicaid or CHIP as of October.
However, the continuous coverage requirement recently ended on March 31. If someone is ineligible for Medicaid, they will have until July 31, 2024, to sign up for coverage via the federal Affordable Care Act marketplace.