Washington, D.C. — As the Biden administration prepares to wind down emergency measures for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, access to health care for the uninsured and underinsured could get worse without action from federal and state governments.
A new report from the Center for American Progress outlines a range of actions that policymakers can take to prevent coverage disruptions and maintain care as the national public health emergency policies begin to unwind this summer. These steps can prevent Medicaid coverage losses and preserve access to COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccines.
Up to 14.4 million Medicaid enrollees could be deemed ineligible and lose Medicaid coverage if the public health emergency ends and no action is taken to connect former enrollees to new coverage. The report urges states to prioritize coverage retention for eligible enrollees, protect enrollees against inappropriate termination, and prepare to transition ineligible enrollees into alternate, affordable, and quality coverage, such as that offered through the marketplaces.
“With the end of the national public health emergency looming, state and federal policymakers should improve continuity of care for millions of Medicaid enrollees facing disenrollment and preserve critical access to COVID-19 testing and treatment,” said Natasha Murphy, director of Health Policy at CAP and co-author of the report.
Read the report: “Preventing Disruptions to Coverage and Care After the Public Health Emergency: Actions for States and the Federal Government” by Natasha Murphy and Nicole Rapfogel
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].