For nearly 200,000 Ohioans, the end of the federal government's public health emergency for COVID-19 will likely mean the end of their Medicaid benefits.
It's called an unwinding, and it basically means that a requirement for states to keep people continuously enrolled during the pandemic (even if their income changed) will come to an end on March 31.
Ohio’s Department of Medicaid has already started reviewing its files on the nearly 3.5 million people who currently receive benefits, and renewal packages will start going out next month.
Here's what you need to know:
How did expanded coverage work?
In 2020, the federal government decided that cutting someone's health insurance during a global pandemic wasn't a good idea, so it required Medicaid to keep everyone enrolled until officials ended the public health emergency.
They called it "continuous enrollment," and it meant that state Medicaid programs didn't have to process renewal paperwork and forms to verify eligibility.
How will this coverage end?
Ohio's Department of Medicaid won't verify the incomes of its 3.5 million by the end of April or even the end of 2023. The plan (as required by the federal government) is to take a year to unwind this pandemic program.
What happens if I'm no longer eligible?
Anyone can appeal their determination, but Medicaid says there's an important deadline to be aware of when it comes to keeping your coverage during the appeal.
"If they appeal within 15 days of the date of the notice, their healthcare coverage will remain in effect until the appeal process is completed," according to Ohio's department. "If they appeal beyond 15 days, their coverage will be ended, but can be reinstated if their appeal is successful."
For those who don't appeal, Medicaid coverage will end on the last day of the month in which the notice was issued.
No termination notices will go out before April 1.
Where do I go for insurance?
Some people who are no longer eligible for Medicaid may have the option of enrolling in their employer's healthcare plan. Everyone else will have to buy coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Anyone who may be affected by the Unwinding may contact Gregg Mann @ Cor-Ben Consultants to assist with evaluating their options with the Healthcare Marketplace.