Nearly 1 million New Yorkers have been “disenrolled” from their healthcare plans after the expiry of COVID-era coverage guarantees early last year.
Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment in the Empire State has fallen 865,000 from over 7.5 million in March 2023 to under 6.7 million as of October 2024, according to nonprofit health-care research firm the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
Why it matters
Although some individuals may reenroll or switch to employer-sponsored plans, coverage gaps resulting from the nationwide disenrollment process present a serious risk to New Yorkers who are unable to obtain health care through other means.
New York’s disenrollment rate (30 percent) compares favorably with states such as Montana (57 percent) or Utah (56 percent), and it has seen a smaller number of individuals disenrolled than more populous states like Texas and Florida. However, the high figure remains of concern given that research indicates many nationwide have been disenrolled despite still qualifying for coverage.
What to know
The “continuous enrollment” provision of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, passed in March 2020, required states to continue coverage for Medicaid enrollees during the pandemic, doing away with routine eligibility redeterminations over the subsequent three years…