Take action, seek options to stay insured

朱莉·埃斯特利克

今年四月带来的不仅仅是阵雨, but the end of guaranteed coverage for thousands of Medicaid recipients under the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. 约60,000 people in Larimer County rely on 健康第一科罗拉多州—the state’s Medicaid program—to provide medical, 牙科, and behavioral health benefits because they live on a lower income or with a disability. 但是从五月开始, if you no longer meet eligibility requirements, or don’t sign and return renewal forms by the due date (ongoing through June 2024, 取决于您的入学纪念日), you will lose your health insurance within a month.

Many individuals qualified for 健康第一科罗拉多州 due to an economic or health crisis during the worst of the pandemic, leading to a larger percentage of insured residents across the state. Recipients were able to continue with their coverage even if they returned to work or no longer qualified for other reasons, until recent Congressional legislation ended the practice.

It’s a situation that worries area service providers. 他说:“这是美国教育体系最大的变化.S. health insurance coverage since the Affordable Care Act, and many Colorado Medicaid recipients have never had to complete a renewal,凡妮莎·费厄尔说, division manager for the Larimer County Department of Human 服务 Benefits and Community Support Division. 

那是因为在大流行之前, Coloradans with no change in their status were automatically renewed and did not have to undergo a review. 五月开始, renewal packets up to 60 pages long will be sent to members by their preferred method (mail, 电子邮件, text notification) about 60-70 days before their enrollment anniversary. 这个过程, known as the “unwinding” of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) continuous Medicaid coverage, 将持续到2024年6月.

There is particular concern that individuals who are dropped from Medicaid will skip needed medical care or stop taking prescription medications because they can’t afford to pay out of pocket.

As the number of uninsured people increases, “there will be worse health outcomes in our community, 毫无疑问,博士警告说。. 约瑟夫船首, a family medicine doctor in Fort Collins and a member of the Health District’s 董事会.  

下一个步骤

While renewal packets related to the PHE unwinding will be sent through June of next year, annual eligibility reviews will become the norm in Colorado. It’s an adjustment, but the renewal process doesn’t have to be hard if you remember a few things:

• 保持最新的联系方式 科罗拉多健康第一. If your circumstances change, contact 健康第一科罗拉多州 within 10 days.
• 如果你是自动更新的 because 健康第一科罗拉多州 has up-to-date information proving you still qualify, you’ll receive a letter saying that you are approved for coverage. 别的什么都不需要做了.
• If you receive a renewal packet, TAKE ACTION! 不要等到最后期限, send it in as soon as you can—even if you don’t think you still qualify for Medicaid. 如果你被除名, you’ll get a letter stating that you no longer have health insurance coverage. Insurance companies require this letter as proof that you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, which allows you 60 days to enroll in a new plan (some employer-sponsored plans allow only 30 days). While you can’t renew before your anniversary date, you can get a jump on enrolling in a plan to begin when your Medicaid coverage ends.
• 如果你忘了续借, you will get a letter stating that your coverage is ending. Keep this letter as proof that you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, 然后参加一个新的计划, or reapply to Medicaid if you think you are still eligible.

可以得到帮助. The Health District’s 拉里默健康连接 program provides free assistance to find the best insurance option to meet a family’s needs and budget, 包括医疗保险(65岁以上). The Health District also offers a 处方的援助 program for uninsured or underinsured individuals who meet other requirements. And its 家庭牙科诊所 accepts patients with no insurance and offers a sliding fee scale for those who qualify. 你好，español.