RIGHT SPEAK: Millions had Medicaid coverage tied to the pandemic. Now they stand to lose it; Dingell: Communities Are Worried Debt Bill Claws Back COVID Money They Thought They Had ‘Until 2024 to Spend’, and other C-Virus related stories

Millions had Medicaid coverage tied to the pandemic. Now they stand to lose it:

For months, public health experts have been sounding the alarm over many Medicaid enrollees losing their coverage with the winding down of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

But that hasn’t stopped thousands from being caught off guard now that the emergency is officially over.

Federal legislation passed during the pandemic prohibited states from terminating a Medicaid enrollee’s coverage until the end of the public health emergency, which enabled the federal program to grow and contributed to a record-low national uninsured rate.

These provisions have concluded, however, and it’s become apparent that beneficiaries were not made aware of the change.

In a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll released this week, two out of three Medicaid enrollees said they were “not sure” if states could remove people from Medicaid for no longer being eligible or not completing the renewal process. Nearly half of the respondents said they had never even been through the renewal process before, which is understandable considering people haven’t had to go through it in three years.

“The KFF data was, I think, alarming, but not particularly surprising given this has been the concern that a lot of policymakers have had throughout this,” Louise Norris, policy analyst for HealthInsurance.org, told The Hill. “We’ve known for a long time that this is eventually going to happen, especially throughout this part of this year.” --->READ MORE HERE

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Dingell: Communities Are Worried Debt Bill Claws Back COVID Money They Thought They Had ‘Until 2024 to Spend’:

On Tuesday’s “PBS NewsHour,” Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) stated that communities are worried about the clawback of COVID money in the debt ceiling bill because “they thought they had until 2024 to spend that money.” And that she has been telling communities, “if you need that money, you should be spending it now.”

Dingell said, “First of all, I still feel like we’re being held hostage. The fact of the matter is, the country cannot default, period. And the consequences are scary and intimidating. We would be harming our economy for years to come, hurting seniors, veterans, children. I could go through the list. So, default is not an option. But that’s why we’re being held hostage, because I am one of the people that has read all 100 pages of this bill. And I have been asking questions for three days and there are things in this bill that I would clearly not support.”

Later, she added, “There are a lot of questions about the COVID spending and what money will still be there, what’s obligated. Communities across the country are very concerned now, because they didn’t — they thought they had until 2024 to spend that money. I, by the way, have been yelling at my communities, if you need that money, you should be spending it now.” --->WATCH HERE