Over 25 million folks have been disenrolled from Medicaid and over 56 million had their protection renewed, in keeping with KFF’s evaluation of the outcomes of the Medicaid unwinding, which practically all states have now accomplished.
Regardless of these thousands and thousands of disenrollments, 10 million extra persons are at present enrolled in Medicaid and the Kids’s Well being Insurance coverage Program (CHIP) nationally than at first of the pandemic. Most states ended the unwinding with larger complete Medicaid and CHIP enrollment than they started with in February 2020, together with seven states the place enrollment ranges have been no less than 30% larger.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, states saved folks repeatedly enrolled in Medicaid in trade for enhanced federal funding, resulting in document development in Medicaid enrollment. After the continual enrollment coverage ended on March 31, 2023 and beneath the method known as “unwinding,” states have been required to finish eligibility renewals for all Medicaid enrollees.
There have all the time been folks eligible for Medicaid however not enrolled, in addition to individuals who get dropped from Medicaid for failing to finish common renewal processes. Through the unwinding interval, many states took steps to enhance their renewal programs, resulting in fewer folks getting dropped though they continue to be eligible. 5 states — Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and South Dakota – have additionally adopted Medicaid enlargement for the reason that onset of the pandemic, and a number of other states expanded eligibility for different teams, together with kids. The web impact is that Medicaid enrollment is larger than it was earlier than the pandemic.
Nonetheless, enrollment amongst kids has practically returned to pre-pandemic ranges (at solely 5 p.c larger.) Twelve states noticed drops in little one enrollment and three states noticed enrollment fall for each kids and adults relative to pre-pandemic ranges.
As a result of Medicaid eligibility ranges are extra beneficiant for kids, these drops in little one enrollment – coupled with a rise within the 2023 little one uninsured price – recommend some kids could have misplaced protection regardless of being eligible.
Total, 31% of individuals whose Medicaid protection was redetermined throughout the unwinding have been disenrolled, with vast variations throughout states. 5 states had disenrollment charges of greater than 50% (Montana, Utah, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Texas), whereas 5 states had charges beneath 20% (North Carolina, Maine, Oregon, California, and Connecticut).
This evaluation marks the tip of KFF’s impartial effort to observe the Medicaid unwinding utilizing state and federal knowledge. Going ahead, the KFF Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker will use knowledge from the Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Providers to trace month-to-month Medicaid enrollment.
