An estimated 17 million people - about 1 in 5 beneficiaries, including 5 million children and 7 million adults - are expected to lose coverage as a result of the unwinding of the continuous Medicaid enrollment protections enacted during the COVID pandemic. Among those who are at risk of losing their coverage are people who remain eligible but face disenrollment for administrative reasons.
Included in the millions facing possible coverage loss are hundreds of thousands of pregnant and postpartum people and their babies, who are entitled to special protections. Babies born to mothers enrolled in Medicaid are entitled to 12 months of coverage without interruption. Pregnant people are entitled to uninterrupted coverage through the month in which the 60th postpartum day occurs, and states have the option of extending the postpartum period for a full 12 months. As of the end of May, 34 states and the District of Columbia have taken this option.
However, it is possible that the enormity and complexity of the unwinding effort will result in disruption of these special protections. Preventing coverage loss among pregnant and postpartum health center patients and their infants – who often face elevated health and social risks – is essential. A new data note from the Geiger Gibson program explores the robust scope of community health centers in providing prenatal and postpartum services, and their crucial role in mitigating disenrollment and protecting coverage and care.
Read the new data note here: With Over a Half-Million Pregnant Patients Served Annually, Community Health Centers Play a Crucial Role in Protecting Coverage During Medicaid Wind-Down.