US.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ILLINOISANS WHO GET HEALTH CARE THROUGH MEDICAID ARE NOW AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR COVERAGE.

THAT IS BECAUSE EMERGENCY MEASURES DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE DID NOT LOSE THEIR HEALTHCARE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ARE NOW BEING PHASED OUT.

THOSE MEASURES SUSPENDED THE REQUIREMENT THAT PEOPLE PROVE THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE GOVERNMENT-BACKED INSURANCE PROGRAM EACH YEAR, BUT NOW THOSE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ARE BACK.

JOINING US TO TELL US MORE IS SAMANTHA FRY, A MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION OF MEDICAID PROVIDERS IN ILLINOIS.

SAMANTHA, THANKS FOR JOINING US.

WHAT KIND OF ELIGIBILITY DO PEOPLE HAVE TO PROVE NOW?

>> SO MEDICAID IS AN INCOME-BASED PROGRAM.

WHAT FOLKS HAVE TO PROVE IS THAT FIRST, THEY LIVE IN ILLINOIS , AND THAT THEIR INCOME MAKES THEM ELIGIBLE FOR THE MEDICAID PROGRAM.

>> OKAY.

SO OF COURSE THIS COULD IMPACT AS MANY AS 700,000 ILLINOISANS.

DOES EVERYONE WHO CURRENTLY RECEIVES MEDICAID, DO THEY ALL HAVE TO PROVE THAT ELIGIBILITY?

>> SO THIS IS A FEDERAL REQUIREMENT.

THERE ARE CURRENTLY OVER 3.7 MILLION FOLKS, OVER A QUARTER OF OUR STATE POPULATION, RELYING ON THE STATE MEDICAID PROGRAM FOR THEIR HEALTHCARE.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REQUIRES ALL STATES TO REVIEW ELIGIBILITY ANNUALLY, SEPARATE AND APART FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY, OF COURSE.

THE STATE OF ILLINOIS HAS A PROCESS WHERE THEY CAN VERIFY 30 TO 40% OF MEDICAID MEMBERS ESSENTIALLY AUTOMATICALLY WITH INFORMATION THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AND PAYROLL, RECEIPTS AND OTHER THINGS.

BUT THE 60% OF ALL HAVE TO SEND IN PAPERWORK IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN COVERAGE.

WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS, AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS TIMELINE, IT IS NOT ALL HAPPENING AT ONCE.

IT WILL HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS STARTING MAY 1st.

>> ON WHAT GROUNDS MIGHT SOMEONE LOSE COVERAGE?

>> SO THERE ARE AREAS WHERE FOLKS HAVE JUST RECEIVED RAISES, THEY HAVE HAD PROMOTIONS, THEY ARE WORKING MORE HOURS.

AS WE KNOW, THE ECONOMY LOOKS DIFFERENT NOW THAN IT DID IN APRIL 2020, THANKFULLY.

SO THERE ARE DEFINITELY PEOPLE WHO JUST HAVE HIGHER INCOMES AND THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR HEALTH INSURANCE ON THE EXCHANGE, OR THEY MIGHT HAVE EVEN HAD AN EMPLOYER THAT OFFERS HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THOSE FOLKS, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO LOSE COVERAGE BUT TRANSITION COVERAGE.

THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ALL THEIR HEALTHCARE COVERAGE.

OUR CONCERN, WHERE WE ARE MOST FOCUSED IS SIMPLY ON PEOPLE WHO LOSE COVERAGE NOT BECAUSE OF ELIGIBILITY, BUT BECAUSE OF YOUR WORK.

WE DO NOT WANT PEOPLE TO FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY AND LOSE MUCH-NEEDED HEALTHCARE COVERAGE.

>> TO THAT POINT, SAMANTHA, WHAT IS BEING DONE TO MAKE FOLKS AWARE THAT THIS REQUIREMENT IS RETURNING?

>> SO THAT MEDICAID HEALTH PLAN IS REACHING OUT TO THEIR MEMBERS BASED ON WHEN THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR REDETERMINATION.

IF MEMBERS AREN'T ELIGIBLE UNTIL NEXT FEBRUARY WE WILL REACH OUT TO THEM WHEN THEY ARE ELIGIBLE BY TEXTING, CALLING AND LETTING THEIR PROVIDERS KNOW AND PHARMACY NO.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALSO WORKS WITH CVS AND WALGREENS.

THE STATE OF ILLINOIS HAS ROLLED OUT AN A MILLION-DOLLAR CAMPAIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW ABOUT IT.

AND THEN OF COURSE THERE ARE FOLKS LIKE ME COMING ON HERE TO TALK TO YOU AND TO TALK TO YOUR VIEWERS, AND OF COURSE WORKING WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS LIKE HOMELESS SHELTERS, FOOD BANKS, SCHOOLS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS IS COMING.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO JOIN THE MEDICAID PROGRAM SINCE MARCH 2020 HAVE NEVER EVEN GONE THROUGH THIS.

THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THIS PROCESS.

I THINK THAT IT IS HUMAN NATURE TO NOT LIKE PAPERWORK, SO REALLY IT IS OUR GOAL TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IS COMING, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS