WEBVTT

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each year to renew their
coverage. But that#
stopped during the onset of the

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An
d, for three years,
recipients#
have been continuously
enrolled.##

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But that reenrollment
provision#
ended in April. And, since
then,##

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more than 15 million people
have#
been disenrolled from Medicaid.

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We're joined now by Jennifer
Tolbert,##

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deputy director of the Program
on#

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Thank you for being with us.

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So, Jennifer

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people forgetting to reenroll#
or is something else at play?

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JENNIFER TOLBERT, Deputy
Director, Program on#
Medicaid and the Uninsured,
KFF: Well, I think##

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it

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So, because states kept people
on the Medicaid#
program for three

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there are a number of people
who#
have had changes in
circumstances,##

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they have gotten new jobs, they
have#
increased their hours at their
existing jobs,##

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and because of that increase
in#
income, are no longer eligible.

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But we also know that there are
a lot of people#
who are losing coverage for
what are called##

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procedural or paperwork
reasons. And this is#
a situation in which the state
is disenrolling##

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someone, even though they don't
have information#
to confirm whether the person
is still eligible.

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GEOFF BENNETT: And who is#
most affected by that? And##

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what about children who are
covered#
by M

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JENNIFER TOLBERT: Yes, we're
seeing a#
lot of disenrollments among
children.

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I think going into this
process, the assumption#
was because Medicaid
el

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higher than that for adults,
that there would be#
fewer disenrollments among
children. But among##

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reporting states, and we only
have data from#
about 23 states, but among
those states showing##

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disenrollments broken out by
age, children account#
for nearly 40 percent of all
disenrollments.

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And so, nationally, that
translates to#
about five million children
losing coverage.

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GEOFF BENNETT: And when people
lose coverage, what#
exactly are they losing? What's
at stake here?

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JENNIFER TOLBERT: Yes, well,
they're#
losing their access to medical
care.##

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And many people on Medicaid are
dealing#
with chronic health conditions
or mental##

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health issues for which they
need#
ongoing medication and
treatment.

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And particularly for kids, this
can mean#
losing access to needed
medications to##

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control ADHD or to help with
autism or#
diabetes. And so losing
Medicaid coverage,##

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even if it may be for a short
period while#
someone is trying to get
reenrolled, can lead##

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to lapses in care, so people
not being able to#
get needed medications, not
being able to see##

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doctors or therapists that can
help them control#
whatever health care issue
they're dealing with.

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GEOFF BENNETT: You know,
looking at the numbers,#
there is a wide range of
disenrollment rates##

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across the country, 61 percent
in Texas to#
13 percent in Maine and Oregon.
Why is that?

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JENNIFER TOLBERT: Yes, there
are a#
lot of different factors at
play here.

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Some of it has to do with when
states#
started disenrolling people.
Some states##

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started earlier than others.
Other states#
have taken greater steps to try
and ensure##

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that people who are still
eligible remain#
on the program. So one thing
that states##

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are doing or required to do, in
fact, is to#
conduct what are called ex
parte reviews.

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And this is where state checks#
available data sources to
see##

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if an individual continues to
qualify#
for Medicaid before they send a
renewal##

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notice asking someone to
complete forms#
and provide other
documentation. States##

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that have higher ex parte
renewal rates#
tend to have lower
disenrollment rates,##

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because they are able to enroll
or renew more#
people without asking people to
take action,##

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which can be burdensome, or
which can lead#
to problems like people not
receiving notices##

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in the mail or not being able
to gather the#
required documents that the
state is requesting.

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GEOFF BENNETT: If someone
believes that they have#
been improperly disenrolled,
what can they do?

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JENNIFER TOLBERT: Yes.

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unfortunately, this can be
difficult in#
many states because there are
still long##

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wait times for many call
centers#
when people try and get through.

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But my advice is to stay
patient and#
continue to try and get through
to##

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the Medicaid agency. If not
that, there are#
community-based organizations
and entities##

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called navigators and
enrollment assisters#
that can provide people with
help to complete##

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their renewal process or to
challenge if they#
think they have been improperly
disenrolled.

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GEOFF BENNETT: Jennifer Tolbert
with KFF, thanks#
so much for your insights. We
appreciate it.

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JENNIFER TOLBERT: Thank you.