70,000 Nevadans Lose Medicaid Coverage
Approximately 70,000 residents of Nevada have lost their Medicaid coverage as a result of the unwinding process that began this year. Nevada Health Link, the state’s health insurance exchange, has been sending alerts to those who are no longer eligible. The change stems from the reversal of the pandemic-era guidance that allowed recipients to remain on their Medicaid plans without reapplying.
The application window for new insurance will remain open until November, and 90% of those who lost coverage qualify for subsidies, making insurance more affordable than it was previously. Many could earn zero-dollar premiums or pay less than $200 a month for their entire household.
National Impact of Medicaid Unwinding
Nationally, millions of Americans have lost their Medicaid coverage due to the unwinding process. According to a new Kaiser Family Foundation report, at least 19.6 million Medicaid enrollees have been taken off their plans, representing 30% of enrollees since the process began.
Procedural reasons, such as missing a deadline or having an incorrect updated address, accounted for the bulk of the Medicaid disenrollments, comprising about 69% of those removed.
Top States for Medicaid Disenrollments
The top 10 states for Medicaid disenrollments are:
1. Texas (2.1 million)
2. California (1.6 million)
3. Florida (1.4 million)
4. New York (1.4 million)
5. Pennsylvania (848,000)
6. Massachusetts (750,000)
7. Ohio (707,000)
8. Oklahoma (690,000)
9. Michigan (687,000)
10. Arizona (611,000)
This is because these states have large Medicaid populations, resulting in a higher number of disenrollments during the unwinding period. The number of eligibility redeterminations they are processing each month is higher than some states’ total Medicaid enrollment.
