Accessibility & Affordability
Upcoming Changes to Medicaid, What You Need to Do
Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act at the start of the pandemic in 2020, which included a temporary requirement that Medicaid programs keep people continuously enrolled, and in exchange states received enhanced federal funding. The continuous enrollment has grown significantly compared to pre-pandemic levels, and the national uninsured rate dropped. Then in December 2022, Congress signed into law the Consolidated Appropriation Act to end the continuous enrollment provision on March 31, 2023. When this date rolls around, millions of people could lose Medicaid. KFF estimates that between 5 and 14 million people will lose Medicaid coverage when states terminate the continuous enrollment provision this year. Unfortunately, some people who lose coverage will be ineligible and will become uninsured if they do not transition to other coverage. For those who have cancer or long-term continuous medical treatment and are on Medicaid as a result of the provision and you do not have secondary insurance, it is important that you seek advice and know your options to stay on Medicaid so that you do not have a gap in coverage. You may be able to participate in the ACA marketplace plans with premium assistance or employer-sponsored health benefits. Fortunately, Congress enhanced subsidies for the ACA marketplace, which were first included in the American Rescue Plan during the pandemic, making those plans more affordable. Therefore, more people can take advantage of ACA plans with less out-of-pocket premiums.
What were these expansions to ACA?
Benchmark premiums across the country are an average of 4% higher than last year. Fortunately, the vast number of enrollees in ACA plans are shielded from this increase.
The changes in the expanded and enhanced marketplace premium subsidies enacted under the American Rescue Act which took place in 2021 were expanded through the Inflation Reduction Act through 2025.
As a result of the expansions and enhancements, including an extended enrollment period, more people can find the marketplace coverage more appealing.
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