States of Unwinding: June 9, 2023
As of June 1, an additional 22 states have begun terminating individuals no longer eligible for Medicaid, for a total of 39 states and the District of Columbia now disenrolling people from Medicaid. To highlight the end of the continuous coverage requirement, two states are deploying their governors as messengers to explain the unwinding. States continue to partner with other stakeholders to outreach to enrollees and create messaging toolkits for partners. As individuals losing Medicaid transition to the Marketplace, Louisiana has created a tool to help former Medicaid enrollees locate a broker and Maine has created a guide to help consumers navigate the state’s Marketplace. Also, states continue to publish data on the number of individuals terminated from coverage as well as those whose coverage was renewed. Massachusetts announced it will be publishing reports detailing Marketplace enrollment over the course of the unwinding. State Health and Value Strategies updated our expert perspective State Reporting to Monitor the Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Coverage Requirement. To date, 23 states and the District of Columbia have released unwinding data in either an interactive dashboard or static pdf format, or are making public their required CMS Monthly Unwinding Data reports. As a reminder, SHVS has created a one-stop resource page to support states as they plan for and implement unwinding.
Employing Prominent Messengers
Maryland’s Governor is featured in a video about unwinding. The Maryland Department of Health published a video of Governor Wes Moore highlighting that Medicaid renewals have resumed and enrollees must update their contact information and respond to their renewal form to prevent a gap in coverage. The Governor asks individuals to visit MarylandHealthConnection.gov and share this information with any friends or family enrolled in Medicaid coverage.
Pennsylvania’s Governor created a video for the state’s Marketplace. Pennie, the state’s official health insurance Marketplace, is featuring a video of Governor Josh Shapiro informing the state about the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement unwinding. The Governor encourages individuals to pay close attention to their renewal forms and visit pa.gov/healthcare to explore other health coverage options. Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh published an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer outlining what people can do to prepare for and complete their required Medicaid and CHIP annual renewals.
Outreach Partnerships With Other Stakeholders
Maine issued grants to community-based organizations to support community outreach. Grants were made to support community-based organizations in providing direct assistance to under-resourced populations to inform them about the unwinding process, provide support in completing MaineCare reenrollment, and assist those no longer eligible for MaineCare to obtain affordable healthcare coverage through CoverME.gov, Maine’s health insurance Marketplace. The grants were the result of a partnership of Maine’s Office of Population Health Equity (OPHE), the Office of MaineCare Services and the Office for Family Independence.
Massachusetts is collaborating on a communications campaign with community organizations and providers. To ensure Massachusetts residents retain their health coverage during the unwinding, the state has created the “MassHealth Redetermination Campaign,” a collaboration between MassHealth, the Massachusetts Health Connector (the state’s official health insurance Marketplace), Health Care for All, community-based groups and health providers. The state is promoting a webpage with campaign information and a marketing toolkit.
Medicaid Communication and Outreach Efforts
Arizona released new toolkits for partners. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System announced two new Renewals Awareness Messaging toolkits and supporting materials to assist health plans, providers, community partners, and tribal communities to build awareness of the regular renewals process that began April 1. There are two versions of the Renewals Awareness Toolkits—one for managed care organizations and providers, and another for tribal communities and providers.
Maine created diverse outreach materials in a variety of languages. Maine’s OPHE partnered with the Office of MaineCare Services and the Office for Family Independence to develop multilingual, culturally appropriate outreach materials and a marketing campaign to inform the public and partners about the end of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement. The materials were funded through a grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New Mexico released how-to videos to support enrollees as they navigate the renewal process. The New Mexico Human Services Department created instructional videos available in English and Spanish on the Medicaid renewal process.
South Carolina is warning Medicaid enrollees about scams. The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is warning the community about current Medicaid renewal scams that may target Medicaid members. The state is sending legitimate texts to let Medicaid members know their annual review form is in the mail and prompt them to complete their annual review form. Those who receive an email or text asking them to pay money or provide gift cards to keep or renew their coverage are instructed to contact the state’s Medicaid fraud hotline.
Supporting Transitions to Marketplace Coverage
Colorado is highlighting how to transition to Marketplace coverage. Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance Marketplace, issued a press release with information for individuals who have lost Medicaid during the unwinding and what they need to know about transitioning to Marketplace coverage. The press release highlights the special enrollment period for those who lose coverage during unwinding and the availability of enrollment assisters and brokers to help consumers find new coverage. The Marketplace will be providing updates about Medicaid and Marketplace enrollment conversions and ongoing outreach efforts at its public board meetings.
Louisiana released a tool to help those no longer eligible for Medicaid find a broker. The Louisiana Department of Insurance has released a tool to help former Medicaid members shop for health coverage after disenrollment during the unwinding. The online tool allows consumers to search for local insurance agents in their area who can help them find health coverage.
Maine created a consumer enrollment guide for navigating the transition to Marketplace coverage. CoverME.gov, the state’s official health insurance Marketplace, created a consumer enrollment guide for individuals no longer eligible for Medicaid during the unwinding. The guide instructs individuals on how to create an account, access an existing application that the Department of Health and Human Services may have sent to the Marketplace, enroll in the special enrollment period available for those who lost Medicaid, choose a plan, and access financial assistance through the Marketplace.
Making Information About Unwinding Public
Arkansas published updated data on the number of terminations and renewals. The Arkansas Department of Human Services is reporting updated figures reflecting the second month of redeterminations. A total of 68,838 enrollees were terminated in May and 39,848 enrollees were renewed.
Idaho released additional data. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced that the state has processed 91,350 Medicaid renewals, of which 25,070 individuals were determined eligible and 66,280 were found ineligible or did not respond to their renewal.
Massachusetts’ Marketplace is releasing information about enrollment. The Massachusetts Health Connector, the state’s official health insurance Marketplace, will be publishing reports to provide comprehensive and up-to-date information on plan selection, contact center summaries, and enrollment data during the unwinding. The first summary report was published on May 28.
North Dakota announced the number of enrollees terminated as of May 31. The North Dakota Health and Human Services announced that about 13,100 North Dakota Medicaid members were due for a renewal on May 31, and only about one in three members who were sent a renewal form returned it. As a result, 4,421 people were disenrolled.