Thousands of Ventura County residents could lose Medi-Cal coverage in COVID transition
As many as 50,000 Ventura County residents could lose their Medi-Cal insurance over 14 months as COVID-19 pandemic protections expire.
The potential jeopardy in California's Medicaid program for low-income residents has sparked an outreach effort designed to re-enroll people and keep as many covered as possible.
“When people go to the doctor or go to pick up a prescription, we don’t want them to be surprised when the coverage shows up as inactive,” said Jennie Pittman, deputy director of the Ventura County Human Services Agency. “That’s the goal – to get ahead of it.”
When the pandemic emerged three years ago, the federal government added dozens of protections and increased benefits in Medicaid programs across the nation. In perhaps the most significant measure, annual eligibility reviews were halted. States and counties were told they could no longer drop people who had lost eligibility for coverage.
In Ventura County, enrollment grew from 210,000 people covered before the pandemic to 265,000, Pittman said.
Now, the continuous coverage policy is changing as the federal COVID emergency nears its May expiration. In April, counties across California will again start to conduct eligibility reviews.
Across the state, as many as 3 million people could lose their coverage over more than a year, including an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 in Ventura County. The first people deemed ineligible could stop receiving benefits in July.
Many of the people who stand to be dropped from the program have found jobs over the past three years and qualify for insurance coverage through their employer, said Yingjia Huang, assistant deputy director for health care benefits and eligibility in the California Department of Health Care Services.
Other people no longer meet income requirements though they may qualify for subsidized coverage through the state’s Covered California insurance exchange.
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People will also be dropped if they don't provide income data, current address and other information needed to determine eligibility. Some may have moved or have lost contact with a Medi-Cal enrollment office. The statewide outreach effort is aimed at getting updated information so people who are eligible can avoid gaps in insurance.
“Loss of coverage — that’s the biggest worry and the biggest stake,” Huang said.
The outreach is led by the state and involves the county Human Services Agency and Gold Coast Health Plan, the public entity that administers Medi-Cal locally. Community groups are expected to also help with contact efforts. Social media, advertising and billboards will be used to get the word out.
Letters will be sent over the next several months starting in April, telling Medi-Cal members their coverage has been automatically renewed or they need to provide more information. People who don’t receive letters or have other questions can check their status by going to KeepMediCalCoverage.org.
People can also report changes to their address or income to the county by calling 888-472-4463. People who aren’t eligbile may be transferred to Covered California, the Affordable Care Act program that started offering insurance in 2014 and is designed to provide subsidies for low- and middle-income people.
Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.
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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Many in Ventura County could lose Medi-Cal in COVID-19 transition
