FEDS Paper: The Effect of Ending the Pandemic-Related Mandate of Continuous Medicaid Coverage on Health Insurance Coverage
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the U.S. healthcare system, including Medicaid. In response to the pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented a number of temporary policies, including a mandate that states maintain continuous Medicaid coverage for all enrollees. This mandate was intended to prevent people from losing Medicaid coverage during the pandemic and to ensure that they could continue to access necessary healthcare services.
The FEDS Paper
The FEDS paper, titled “The Effect of Ending the Pandemic-Related Mandate of Continuous Medicaid Coverage on Health Insurance Coverage,” examines the potential impact of ending the continuous coverage mandate on health insurance coverage. The paper uses data from the Current Population Survey to estimate the number of people who would lose Medicaid coverage if the mandate were to end.
Key Findings
The paper finds that ending the continuous coverage mandate would result in a significant number of people losing Medicaid coverage. The paper estimates that approximately 14 million people would lose Medicaid coverage within 6 months of the mandate ending. This would include:
- 6 million children
- 4 million adults aged 19-64
- 4 million elderly and disabled adults
The paper also finds that ending the continuous coverage mandate would have a disproportionate impact on people of color and low-income families.
Policy Implications
The findings of the FEDS paper have important implications for policymakers. The paper suggests that ending the continuous coverage mandate would have a negative impact on health insurance coverage, particularly for people of color and low-income families. This could lead to increased uninsured rates and reduced access to healthcare services.
The paper also raises concerns about the potential impact of ending the continuous coverage mandate on the health of Medicaid beneficiaries. Losing Medicaid coverage can lead to delays in care, reduced access to preventive services, and increased financial hardship. This can have a negative impact on health outcomes, particularly for people with chronic conditions.
Conclusion
The FEDS paper provides important evidence on the potential impact of ending the pandemic-related mandate of continuous Medicaid coverage. The paper finds that ending the mandate would result in a significant number of people losing Medicaid coverage, with disproportionate impacts on people of color and low-income families. This could have negative consequences for health insurance coverage, access to healthcare services, and health outcomes.
Recommendations
The findings of the FEDS paper suggest that policymakers should consider extending the continuous coverage mandate beyond the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. This would help to ensure that people who have gained Medicaid coverage during the pandemic do not lose coverage and can continue to access necessary healthcare services.
Policymakers should also consider other policies to expand health insurance coverage and improve access to healthcare services. This could include expanding Medicaid eligibility, increasing subsidies for health insurance premiums, and making it easier for people to enroll in coverage.
FEDS Paper: The effect of ending the pandemic-related mandate of continuous Medicaid coverage on health insurance coverage
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