Photo by Artem Podrez on Pexels
By L. M. Land
At the start of the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) in 2020, the Medicaid renewal process was halted. If you were on public assistance, you could not be removed from it until the PHE ended.
The PHE protection ended on May 11, 2023. Therefore, Medicaid eligibility renewals have begun again. If you have Medicaid, MIChild or the Healthy Michigan Plan, you will go through the renewal process to find if you are still eligible for free or low-cost coverage. Go to https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/end-phe/medicaid-benefit-changes for more information.
If you are an adult who is no longer eligible, you may lose coverage for COVID testing or immunizations. As discussed in the previous Courier article, “What is vaccine equity, and why is it so important?” many people nationwide will no longer be able to get this important vaccine as the government is will no longer buying it by the end of 2023. The manufacturers will also be raising the prices by four times or more.
This leaves those without coverage or with inadequate coverage vulnerable and likely unable to afford COVID booster shots. At this point, no one seems to know exactly what will happen with COVID vaccine shot coverage even for Medicare and private plans. Each insurance payor is figuring that out now.
If you suspect your coverage will be lost in the review process, it is a good idea to get caught up on your booster vaccines before that happens. Following is some information that will hopefully help you begin to navigate your Medicaid coverage eligibility review.
Now that eligibility reviews have begun, Michigan is going to use the recipient’s renewal month for re-qualifications. There is a table online at https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/end-phe/medicaid-benefit-changes/eligibility-notification-timeline to see what date to expect your re-evaluation.
An example from the timeline chart is as follows:
If your renewal month is June 2023, an awareness letter informing you that your renewal packet is coming would be sent in March 2023. The renewal packet itself will be sent in May 2023. The packet you return will be processed in June 2023. If you are no longer eligible or did not return the packet, your coverage will end on June 30, 2023.
- Please note that if a beneficiary has opted to only receive electronic notifications, they will not receive a mailed renewal packet. These individuals should check their email!
- The renewal date for multiple family members in the same home may be different. Your renewal dates can be found online in MI Bridges through the View Benefits module.
Open enrollment for 2023 health insurance ran between November 1, 2022 and January 15, 2023. Those who missed the deadline for 2023 coverage may have a qualifying reason to get that coverage back. Experiences such as a birth, job loss, or divorce may qualify. Go to https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage-outside-open-enrollment/special-enrollment-period/ for details and how to re-apply.
Michigan health insurance information can be found at: https://www.michigan.gov/difs/consumers/insurance/health-insurance
To see if you qualify for benefits, go to https://www.healthcare.gov/screener
For information about the COVID changes in general go to: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/end-phe
Lack of coverage for the COVID vaccines could become a problem for low-income individuals all over the United States. Here in Flint, those who might lose your Medicaid coverage can be proactive and get your COVID vaccine boosters before your coverage ends.
The hardest hit financially and health-wise nationally will be low-income individuals, those with low coverage plans, and, of course, those with no insurance. These are the people who will be left with a high risk of having COVID in our nation. This is called vaccine inequity, and it will be a sad day for our nation and our people.
Fortunately, our children are still going to have their vaccines covered under the Vaccines for Children Program (VFC), which was established 30 years ago. That, at least, is good news.
Additional information: https://www.kff.org/uninsured/press-release/many-uninsured-people-could-lose-access-to-free-covid-19-testing-treatment-and-vaccines-as-federal-funding-runs-out/
