After three long years, the public health emergency put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been lifted. On May 11, 2023, the nation was formally released from the official state of crisis. Businesses nationwide had already begun lifting mask requirements for patrons previous to this based on local law regulations; although many of the shifts back to pre-pandemic living are positive things to look forward to, there are also many unfortunate policy lifts that you must protect yourself from. One of those lifts being a stop to the various forms of emergency resource allotments that were provided at the height of the pandemic by the federal government.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on Medicaid enrollment in the United States. As millions of Americans lost their jobs or experienced reductions in income due to pandemic-related shutdowns and economic downturns, many individuals and families became eligible for Medicaid for the first time or saw their existing Medicaid coverage increase.
According to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid enrollment increased by an estimated 5.7 million individuals (about twice the population of Arkansas) between February and November 2020, which is an 8.4% increase compared to the previous year. This increase in enrollment largely included adults without disabilities or dependent children who were newly eligible for Medicaid due to the changes in their incomes or job loss. Additionally, many states implemented emergency measures during the pandemic to make it easier for individuals and families to enroll in Medicaid or maintain and increase their existing coverage. For example, some states temporarily suspended eligibility redeterminations, waived certain documentation requirements, and extended deadlines for application and renewal submissions.
However, the lifting of the state of emergency has put a halt to many of these cost-free resources and supplementations of relief, such as extra SNAP benefits. For Medicare and Medicaid recipients, this means that individuals who were previously covered under emergency measures will need to renew or recertify their health insurance and update their information, including their address, telephone number, household, and income. However, households that recently experienced a loss of income or an increase in expenses can report changes to their local district office to potentially maintain or receive an increase in their normal monthly SNAP benefits. Health insurance plans may only pay for COVID-19 testing provided within their network of providers, and patients may face a copay for COVID-19 treatments. Although, Medicaid will continue to cover COVID-19 treatments without cost to patients until at least 2024.
Moving forward, Apicha will continue to provide pandemic-related resources to patients, including offering the COVID-19 Bivalent Booster (eligibility required) at our pop-up events and at either of our clinics located in both Manhattan and Queens. In addition, patients are encouraged to update their information or report any recent changes with Apicha Community Health Center either in person or by phone at (866)-274-2429. If you are not a patient of Apicha, you can check your application status and update your information with the New York State of Health.
