300,000 in NC could lose Medicaid coverage as pandemic-era provision ends

North Carolina’s House and Senate will have to work out their differences on Medicaid expansion before it becomes a reality in the state. If expansion doesn’t happen, 300,000 people in North Carolina could lose their health coverage over the next 17 months.

A provision in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act kept most people who were on Medicaid from losing their coverage during the pandemic, regardless of changes in eligibility.

"There were built-in, these protections, where states were given extra Medicaid dollars, but in return they were prohibited from terminating almost anybody," explained Doug Sea, an attorney with the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy.

That provision is ending, and starting April 1 everyone will have their Medicaid eligibility reviewed. The process of re-qualifying all Medicaid beneficiaries for coverage will take about a year. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services estimates up to 300,000 current Medicaid beneficiaries could lose full health care coverage by the end of the review.

"The ones we’re most worried about are people who are terminated for procedural reasons," said Sea. "They’re terminated because (local departments of social services) could not get a hold of them to get information from them to determine if they’re still eligible."

"That’s why its important for beneficiaries to contact us, make sure we have good contact information, up-to-date addresses, so they’ll receive the notices if they’re no longer eligible," said Kathryn Thompson with Wake County Health and Human Services.

Thompson says they work two months ahead, so in April they’ll start looking at anyone up for recertification in June. In May, they’ll look at July and continue on like that for a year until everyone’s eligibility is checked.

"You’re gonna get these forms … and this time it matters, whether you respond to it or not," Sea told 5 On Your Side. "The last few years, you could throw it in the trash and it didn’t affect anything, but now it’s going to matter."

If your coverage is terminated, you will get a notice warning you that includes details how to find health insurance on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.

You do have the right to appeal a termination. Contacting Legal Aid of North Carolina is a good option for legal representation.

NCDHHS believes many of the 300,000 who could lose full Medicaid coverage during this process would be able to keep their plans if Medicaid expansion passes the state legislature.