According to the Tampa Bay Times, millions of Floridians will soon be left out in the cold when it comes to Medicaid. This will include over 5 million being assessed to see if they still qualify. What should you do if you receive a notice? Let’s take a look.
Currently, about 5.6 million Floridians are on Medicaid. When the pandemic started, the Federal Government made money available to the states for expanding Medicaid rolls to ease the medical crisis. Eligibility was relaxed and many who would normally be refused were granted coverage. This included single adults with no children who typically do not qualify, no matter how little they earn (with Medicare beneficiaries being the exception to that rule).
The COVID expansion swelled Florida’s rolls by 1.8 million. These are individuals who may no longer qualify when the money ceases and the pandemic is considered officially over.
According to the Times, approximately 900,000 have already been assessed as ineligible. However, there are approximately another 850,000 who have been sent notices via mail, email and/or text, who may still be eligible; no decision has been made on those, yet. But if you received a notice and have not replied, you will be dropped automatically for lack of updated information in a timely manner.
The Fear of SPAM and Identity Theft
Unfortunately, with the prevalence of SPAM, hacking and identity theft, many believe the messages may be an attempt to get private information. And while this precaution is warranted, you will want to make sure it is SPAM before you ignore it.
Therefore, if you received an email or text, and you are not sure if it’s SPAM, phishing or other malicious attempt, do not click on any link. However, call Medicaid directly and inquire if they sent you a message. If so, it will be in the system.
Also, according to the Times article, the state will be hiring 137 new employees to answer phone calls, as they anticipate being inundated with calls. So, while you may be frustrated being on hold, DO NOT HANG UP. If you do, your lack of response will almost guarantee you being dropped from the rolls.
If you are on the borderline of eligibility, you will receive a 45-day notice. Do not ignore it! If you do, you will be dropped. However, a second notice will be sent informing you of your removal from the program. Upon receiving this second notice, you will have up to 90 days to reapply. Again, ignore no notices.
If You Are Dropped, Here Are Some Options
For any child that is dropped, Florida KidCare will be an option. For some, the Affordable Care Act plans on Healthcare.gov will help, and for the remainder, there are federally subsidized community health clinics that will treat people based on a sliding scale of income.
What If You Are On Medicare?
For those of you on Medicare, losing your Medicare Savings Program (MSP provided by Medicaid) will mean the loss of your Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP). This loss often comes with the loss of food cards, which are a huge help and will have an impact. If this is you, your best option is to get with your agent and see what plans offer the highest Plan-B givebacks in your area.
While you were eligible, Medicaid paid your premium ($164.90 pr month). If you lose Medicaid, you will see a reduction in your benefits check for that amount. In some areas, there are several plans that will give you the entirety of your Part-B premium back, hence nothing changes in that respect compared to your current condition.
In other areas, givebacks may not be as generous; they may vary from $50 to $125, and anywhere in between. However, any financial relief would be welcomed. While nothing can be done for the food card and the few-to-no copays a DSNP offered, the giveback will help ease the transition.
Prescription Relief with Extra Help
While you may be losing Medicaid, since Extra Help is a federal program, you should be safe there. After all, we don’t see a doctor every month (with few exceptions), but people typically take medications every day. And having that fixed, low copay and no fear of the donut hole will be a relief.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us, or contact your agent. Make sure you stay in the know and are prepared. Be proactive and don’t get complacent. If you haven’t, subscribe to our newsletter for updates. While you may be in the 850,000, it doesn’t mean it’s a given that you will lose your coverage. I’m routing for you to keep it!
