KFF Report: Medicaid Enrollment Down 9.5 Million

Feb. 16, 2024
Per a recent KFF report, millions of people are expected to lose Medicaid coverage during the “unwinding”

Enrollment in Medicaid has fallen by approximately 9.5 million people from last April and is on track to return to about pre-pandemic levels, Phil Galewitz reports on Feb. 7 for KFF Health News.

“Medicaid enrollment,” writes Galewitz, “grew to a record 94 million enrollees as a result of a rule that prohibited states from terminating coverage during the nation’s public health emergency.” Since last April, over 16 million people have been removed in a process called “unwinding.”

Per KFF’s Medicaid enrollment and unwinding tracker, “At least 16,938,000 Medicaid enrollees have been disenrolled as of Feb. 13, 2024, based on the most current data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Overall, 32 percent of people with a completed renewal were disenrolled in reporting states while 68 percent, or 34.3 million enrollees, had their coverage renewed.” Across reporting states, there is a broad variation in disenrollment rates. About 70 percent of the disenrollments were due to coverage termination for procedural reasons, which are instances where renewal processes were not completed due to outdated contact information or people not completing renewals within a specified period. Children account for about 39 percent of disenrollments.

“As states unwind the continuous enrollment provision over the following 12 months, they will redetermine eligibility for all Medicaid enrollees and will disenroll those who are no longer eligible or who may remain eligible but are unable to complete the renewal process. Millions of people are expected to lose Medicaid coverage during this unwinding period,” KFF reports.

Sponsored Recommendations

TEST: Ask the Expert: Is Your Patients' Understanding Putting You at Risk?

Effective health literacy in healthcare is essential for ensuring informed consent, reducing medical malpractice risks, and enhancing patient-provider communication. Unfortunately...

From Strategy to Action: The Power of Enterprise Value-Based Care

Ever wonder why your meticulously planned value-based care model hasn't moved beyond the concept stage? You're not alone! Transition from theory to practice with enterprise value...

State of the Market: Transforming Healthcare; Strategies for Building a Resilient and Adaptive Workforce

The U.S. healthcare system is facing critical challenges, including workforce shortages, high turnover, and regulatory pressures. This guide highlights the vital role of technology...

How AI-Native Locating Intelligence Revolutionizes the RTLS market

Discover how leveraging an RTLS solution with artificial intelligence as the location engine can increase efficiency, improve safety, and elevate care without the compromises ...