Half a million Texans — including many children, disabled adults and pregnant women — lost Medicaid coverage after continuous coverage ended in April, which left many unaware and without access to medical treatment.
“What if they get sick?” Erika said. “How am I going to be able to pay for medicine, or doctor visits, or anything like that?”
For people who aren’t eligible anymore, advocates worry they may not be able to access other options because the state isn’t giving them alternatives. There is a policy for 90 days of retroactive coverage, but it requires applicants to jump through a lot of hoops and is “cumbersome” to access, said Adrienne Lloyd, health policy manager at Children’s Defense Fund-Texas.
She said she called 211, the phone number for assistance with the state’s social services, and was told she had been sent multiple letters — none of which she had received. Eubank said Texas’ federally-qualified community health centers, which are required to provide care for all patients, including those without insurance, were initially bracing for a deluge of patients once the unwinding began, but didn’t see the increase they expected. It shows that many Texans “don’t even know what is coming,” she said.
“There hasn't been a systematic and comprehensive outreach campaign being directed by the state, and so I think a lot of this is people just don't know,” she added. In 2021, 32% of community health center patients used Medicaid coverage, Eubank said. A majority were children, while some were disabled adults and pregnant Texans needing prenatal care.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Confusion and stress abound for 500,000 Texans bumped from MedicaidContinuous Medicaid coverage ended in April. Many of the roughly half-million people stripped from the rolls don’t even know they’ve lost coverage yet.
Read more »
Medicaid disenrollments paused in a dozen states after failure to comply with federal rules | CNN PoliticsA dozen states have had to pause terminating certain residents from Medicaid and to restore coverage – at least temporarily – for tens of thousands of people, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Read more »
Biden administration asks employers to give more help to workers who lose MedicaidThe Biden administration is asking employers to give workers who lose Medicaid coverage more time to land health insurance through their jobs.
Read more »
Biden administration asks employers to give more help to workers who lose MedicaidThe Biden administration on Thursday asked employers to give workers who lose Medicaid coverage more time to sign up for health insurance through their jobs.
Read more »
Medicaid is falling down in front of us and taking American families with itHow will a new WomensHealthcare crisis impact everyone? Qualified people aren't receiving Medicare benefits. When women are uninsured, it puts families & our economy at risk, says our senior policy advisor, Martha Nolan. Read her op-ed thehill 📰
Read more »
How Texans are coping with the brutal heat, from Austin to AbileneHow are you coping with the heat? Texas public radio reporters asked around to see how folks all over are dealing with the record-breaking temperatures.
Read more »