US.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF   ILLINOISANS WHO GET HEALTH CARE  THROUGH MEDICAID ARE NOW AT   RISK OF LOSING THEIR COVERAGE.
THAT IS BECAUSE EMERGENCY   MEASURES DESIGNED TO ENSURE   THAT PEOPLE DID NOT LOSE THEIR   HEALTHCARE DURING THE COVID-19  PANDEMIC ARE NOW BEING PHASED   OUT.
THOSE MEASURES SUSPENDED   THE REQUIREMENT THAT PEOPLE   PROVE THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE  GOVERNMENT-BACKED INSURANCE   PROGRAM EACH YEAR, BUT NOW   THOSE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS   ARE BACK.
JOINING US TO TELL US  MORE IS SAMANTHA FRY, A   MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION OF   MEDICAID PROVIDERS IN ILLINOIS.
SAMANTHA, THANKS FOR JOINING   US.
WHAT KIND OF ELIGIBILITY DO  PEOPLE HAVE TO PROVE NOW?
>> SO MEDICAID IS AN   INCOME-BASED PROGRAM.
WHAT   FOLKS HAVE TO PROVE IS THAT   FIRST, THEY LIVE IN ILLINOIS ,   AND THAT THEIR INCOME MAKES   THEM ELIGIBLE FOR THE MEDICAID   PROGRAM.
>> OKAY.
SO OF COURSE THIS   COULD IMPACT AS MANY AS 700,000  ILLINOISANS.
DOES EVERYONE WHO  CURRENTLY RECEIVES MEDICAID, DO  THEY ALL HAVE TO PROVE THAT   ELIGIBILITY?
>> SO THIS IS A FEDERAL   REQUIREMENT.
THERE ARE  CURRENTLY OVER 3.7 MILLION   FOLKS, OVER A QUARTER OF OUR   STATE POPULATION, RELYING ON   THE STATE MEDICAID PROGRAM FOR   THEIR HEALTHCARE.
THE FEDERAL   GOVERNMENT REQUIRES ALL STATES   TO REVIEW ELIGIBILITY ANNUALLY,  SEPARATE AND APART FROM A   PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY, OF   COURSE.
THE STATE OF ILLINOIS   HAS A PROCESS WHERE THEY CAN  VERIFY 30 TO 40% OF  MEDICAID   MEMBERS ESSENTIALLY   AUTOMATICALLY WITH INFORMATION   THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE THROUGH   THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT   SECURITY AND PAYROLL, RECEIPTS   AND OTHER THINGS.
BUT THE  60%   OF ALL HAVE TO SEND IN  PAPERWORK IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN   COVERAGE.
WHAT IS REALLY   IMPORTANT IS, AS WE TALK ABOUT   THIS TIMELINE, IT IS NOT ALL   HAPPENING AT ONCE.
IT WILL   HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS   STARTING MAY 1st.
>> ON WHAT GROUNDS MIGHT   SOMEONE LOSE COVERAGE?
>> SO THERE ARE AREAS WHERE  FOLKS HAVE JUST RECEIVED   RAISES, THEY HAVE HAD  PROMOTIONS, THEY ARE WORKING   MORE HOURS.
AS WE KNOW, THE   ECONOMY LOOKS DIFFERENT NOW   THAN IT DID IN APRIL 2020,   THANKFULLY.
SO THERE ARE   DEFINITELY PEOPLE WHO JUST HAVE  HIGHER INCOMES AND THEY ARE   ELIGIBLE FOR HEALTH INSURANCE   ON THE EXCHANGE, OR THEY MIGHT  HAVE EVEN HAD AN EMPLOYER THAT  OFFERS HEALTH INSURANCE FOR   THOSE FOLKS, THEY ARE NOT GOING  TO LOSE COVERAGE BUT TRANSITION  COVERAGE.
THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR  ALL THEIR HEALTHCARE COVERAGE.
OUR CONCERN, WHERE WE ARE MOST   FOCUSED IS SIMPLY ON PEOPLE WHO  LOSE COVERAGE NOT BECAUSE OF  ELIGIBILITY, BUT BECAUSE OF   YOUR WORK.
WE DO NOT WANT  PEOPLE TO FALL THROUGH THE   CRACKS TO THE BEST OF OUR   ABILITY AND LOSE MUCH-NEEDED   HEALTHCARE COVERAGE.
>> TO THAT POINT, SAMANTHA,   WHAT IS BEING DONE TO MAKE   FOLKS AWARE THAT THIS   REQUIREMENT IS RETURNING?
>> SO THAT MEDICAID HEALTH PLAN  IS REACHING OUT TO THEIR   MEMBERS BASED ON WHEN THEY ARE   ELIGIBLE FOR REDETERMINATION.
IF MEMBERS AREN'T ELIGIBLE   UNTIL NEXT FEBRUARY WE WILL   REACH OUT TO THEM WHEN THEY ARE  ELIGIBLE BY TEXTING, CALLING   AND LETTING THEIR PROVIDERS   KNOW AND PHARMACY NO.
THE   FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALSO WORKS   WITH CVS  AND WALGREENS.
THE   STATE OF ILLINOIS HAS ROLLED   OUT AN A MILLION-DOLLAR   CAMPAIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT   FOLKS KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND THEN   OF COURSE THERE ARE FOLKS LIKE   ME COMING ON HERE TO TALK TO   YOU AND TO TALK TO YOUR  VIEWERS, AND OF COURSE WORKING   WITH COMMUNITY-BASED   ORGANIZATIONS LIKE HOMELESS   SHELTERS, FOOD BANKS, SCHOOLS   TRYING TO MAKE SURE THE PEOPLE   KNOW THAT THIS IS COMING.
A LOT  OF PEOPLE WHO JOIN THE MEDICAID  PROGRAM SINCE MARCH 2020 HAVE   NEVER EVEN GONE THROUGH THIS.
THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THIS   PROCESS.
I THINK THAT IT IS  HUMAN NATURE TO NOT LIKE   PAPERWORK, SO REALLY IT IS OUR   GOAL TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IS  COMING, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS