Medicaid

On April 14th, Covered California reported that 58,000 residents had enrolled in ACA exchange coverage during their COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period, of which roughly 20,000 did so via standard SEPs (losing coverage, moving, getting married/divorced, etc), while an additional 38,000 took advantage of the COVID-specific SEP.

On April 28th, they announced that the number was up to 84,000 new ACA exchange enrollees, averaging around 2.5x as many as enrolled via standard Special Enrollment Periods during the same period a year ago.

On May 20th, they announced the total was up to 123,000 new ACA exchange enrollees via the COVID SEP, "nearly" 2.5x the rate of a year before.

On April 14th, Covered California reported that 58,000 residents had enrolled in ACA exchange coverage during their COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period, of which roughly 20,000 did so via standard SEPs (losing coverage, moving, getting married/divorced, etc), while an additional 38,000 took advantage of the COVID-specific SEP.

On April 28th, they announced that the number was up to 84,000 new ACA exchange enrollees, averaging around 2.5x as many as enrolled via standard Special Enrollment Periods during the same period a year ago.

Today they issued another update:

Covered California Sees More Than 123,000 Consumers Sign Up for Coverage During the COVID-19 Pandemic

via Covered California:

Covered California for Small Business Works to Help Struggling Businesses Keep Employees Covered During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Covered California for Small Business will allow small businesses an additional 30-day grace period to make their premium payments for the months of April and May.
  • Employers interested in the program will be able to defer up to 75 percent of their premium payments for April and May in an effort to keep thousands of small business employees insured during the current health care crisis.
  • A survey found that more than three out of every four Covered California for Small Business employers are either operating in a limited capacity or are temporarily closed.

Two weeks ago, Covered California reported that 58,000 residents had enrolled in ACA exchange coverage during their COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period, of which roughly 20,000 did so via standard SEPs (losing coverage, moving, getting married/divorced, etc), while an additional 38,000 took advantage of the COVID-specific SEP.

Today they issued a press release with updated numbers and more:

Covered California Continues to See Strong Consumer Interest in Quality Health Care Coverage During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This just in via Covered California:

Covered California Enrolls Tens of Thousands as Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic Hits California Households

  • More than 58,000 people have signed up for coverage through Covered California since March 20, when a special-enrollment period was announced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Covered California has seen a tremendous surge in consumers visiting CoveredCA.com and the website’s Medi-Cal page.
  • The special-enrollment period allows anyone uninsured and eligible to enroll in health care coverage through Covered California to sign up through June 30.
  • Consumers can enroll in as little as 30 minutes, either through CoveredCA.com or over the phone with the help of one of Covered California’s thousands of Certified Insurance Agents or enrollers.
  • In addition, Medi-Cal enrollment is open year-round for consumers who qualify.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California announced on Monday that 58,400 people had enrolled in health care coverage since the exchange announced a special- enrollment period in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pace of sign-ups has been nearly three times the level that Covered California saw during the same period in 2019.

One by one, the dozen or so states which had either already implemented work requirement programs for Medicaid expansion enrollees or which were planning on doing so have either "delayed" or dropped those requirements entirely, either by force due to a federal judge ruling against them, or "voluntarily" due to them seeing the writing on the wall and realizing that a federal judge was going to rule against them in the near future.

Every state except one, that is: Utah.

Utah passed ACA Medicaid expansion solidly back in 2018...and they passed a "clean" version, which was supposed to mean anyone earning up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Line would be eligible, and the program wouldn't have any barriers or hurdles like work requirements and so forth.

California Responds to COVID-19 Emergency by Providing Path to Coverage for Millions of Californians

  • Covered California Expands Special Enrollment and Medi-Cal Seeks Waivers to Encourage Coverage
  • Effective immediately, anyone uninsured and eligible to enroll in health care coverage through Covered California can sign up through the end of June.
  • The Department of Health Care Services announces new steps to help those eligible for Medi-Cal sign up easily and get immediate coverage.
  • The moves come amid widespread disruption in the lives and livelihoods of Californians as public health officials seek to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
  • All medically necessary screening and testing for COVID-19 are free of charge, and all health plans available through Medi-Cal and Covered California offer telehealth options.
  • These actions build on increased state subsidies and the implementation of a state penalty, both of which took effect in January 2020

Last week I noted that House Democrats introduced the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which includes a whole mess of important measures to deal with the economic and public health crisis fallout of the global pandemic. This act is by no means all that's needed, but it's an important start. The bill included, among other things, additional/emergency funding for:

This just broke moments ago so I don't have much in the way of details yet:

DC district court just entered summary judgment holding Michigan’s Medicaid work requirements are unlawful.

— Jane Perkins (@perkins_nhelp) March 4, 2020

Work requirements are a policy disaster -- and their suspension by court order here in Michigan is an extraordinarily positive development.

— Nicholas Bagley (@nicholas_bagley) March 4, 2020

There is, however, also this:

This just broke moments ago, so I don't have a lot of details, but the bottom line is this:

US Appeals Court in DC rules today that Trump admin. unlawful in approving Arkansas Medicaid work requirement

— Stephanie Armour (@StephArmour1) February 14, 2020

Here's the opinion itself.

As always, University of Michigan Law Professor Nicholas Bagley has the skinny:

It's a clean win for the plaintiffs, and it comes in a short, decisive opinion written by Judge Sentelle -- a very conservative Reagan appointee. 

Before: PILLARD, Circuit Judge, and EDWARDS and SENTELLE, Senior Circuit Judges. Opinion for the Court filed by Senior Circuit Judge SENTELLE.

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