Nearly 500,000 People Kicked Off Medicaid

Nearly 500,000 people have been kicked off Medicaid in Virginia as the state implements its unwinding process.
During the pandemic, the federal government froze all Medicaid requirements and allowed Americans to stay on government-run health insurance without applying again or proving additional eligibility.
However, since April of last year, states have been removing Medicaid recipients as they reinstate rules surrounding who qualifies for coverage.
In Virginia, more than 480,000 residents were disenrolled from the state’s health care coverage as of this month, the state’s health care tracker reveals. During the pandemic, around 2 million Virginians had Medicaid coverage.
Another 69,000 people are waiting for redetermination for Medicaid in the state.
Newsweek reached out to Virginia’s Department of Medical Assistance Services for comment via email.
Those removed likely were deemed ineligible due to the financial requirements for the government program.
To qualify, one’s income must be at or below 80 percent of the federal poverty level.
“The significant declines in Medicaid enrollees are startling, but the reality is there could be multiple factors, both good and bad, playing a part in the decline,” Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, previously told Newsweek. “In some states, the economy is chugging along with near-record unemployment rates, meaning fewer people would qualify.”
Despite not meeting the financial threshold, many beneficiaries and health care experts are concerned about how the unwinding process could be impacting health care in America in the long term.
Some recipients were barred from their Medicaid coverage after getting a part-time job that raised their income above the limit. Unlike many full-time jobs, part-time work often does not include health coverage, leaving many Americans without insurance for lifesaving treatments and medications.
A significant number of Americans were also removed from Medicaid due to procedural issues, like missing a deadline or having a changed address.
According to health research firm KFF, 55 percent of those disenrolled from their Medicaid coverage in Virginia had their insurance taken due to procedural reasons. That means many still could qualify without having access to the program.
“The common story amongst the people we meet is that they were never provided notice that they lost Medicaid nor given the chance to appeal,” Smile Insurance CEO Chris Fong told Newsweek. “They usually only find out that they have lost Medicaid when they try going to the doctor, and they are told they have no insurance.”
The state Medicaid program typically mails a renewal package to determine eligibility, but coverage will be terminated for those who do not submit the necessary paperwork within 30 days. A delay in the mail or a change in address could jeopardize residents’ health insurance.
Medicaid coverage is available for low-income Americans as well as those with disabilities, but even those above the income limits might face difficulties in getting necessary health care covered.
According to KFF’s most recent numbers, almost 25 million Americans have lost their Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage across the country since last year. In March 2023, before unwinding policies went into effect, around 94 million people were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP.