Millions of people will no longer be covered by Medicaid over the next 14 months. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government suspended procedures that would remove people from Medicaid – something that happens regularly given changes in income, state of residence, or coverage under an employer. During the pandemic enrollment in Medicaid grew by nearly five million people due to the suspension of eligibility. On April 1, 2023, states began disenrolling members no longer eligible for the program for the first time since early 2020. An estimated 18 million people will lose Medicaid coverage by June 2024, and 3.8 million of those will become uninsured. What does this change mean for New Yorkers?
New York
Estimated enrollment April 2023: 6,854,000
Estimated enrollment June 2024: 5,779,000
Estimated members disenrolled: 1,075,000
Percentage difference: -16
More than half of children in the United States receive health care coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which covers children whose families make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but do not earn enough to afford private health insurance. The good news is that 80 to 90% of children will still be eligible for those programs according to estimates from the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Center for Children and Families.
This change in status for more than a million New Yorkers over the next year means more people will be seeking health care and social support services at organizations like Sun River Health that care for patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. This change to Medicaid also means fewer patient reimbursements from the program, which makes each dollar raised for Sun River Health patients even more vital to ensuring that every person receives the care they need and the respect they deserve.
If you would like to help guarantee our programs endure and can accommodate this incoming wave of new patients, you can do so here.
