Medi-Cal benefits may get dropped
Medicaid eligibility evaluations were paused during COVID-19 and will resume April 1, 2023. This means that individuals whose Medicaid coverage was automatically extended during the pandemic will have their eligibility reviewed to confirm they still qualify. This eligibility evaluation will affect ~90 million individuals in the U.S. and is called Medicaid redetermination or recertification.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimates that between 15-18 million people could lose their Medicaid coverage during this process over the next 12 months. While some people may be able to join employer-sponsored health insurance plans, many in the hospitality industry will not have that option and will need to find individual and family coverage elsewhere.
Those who lose Medi-Cal coverage will generally have two options:
- Coverage through the exchange/marketplace
- Healthy Hospitality’s free service helps hospitality workers access their maximum federal subsidies and the most reasonably priced health plans for medical, dental, vision, life, critical illness, and Medicare plans
- Coverage through the employer for full-time eligible employees
This is time sensitive! Anyone not eligible for an employer health plan will have 60 days to enroll in an individual and family plan. If they do not enroll within 60 days, they must wait until the next annual Open Enrollment period, which generally runs from November 1 – January 15.
This is important! Uninsured individuals are less likely to seek care, especially preventive care.* Access to care contributes to positive health outcomes, reduced absenteeism and turnover, and increased productivity.
We are here to help…and it’s free! Those who lose Medi-Cal coverage should call 855-607-1323 or visit www.hospitality-health.com/CRA for our free enrollment service. A licensed insurance agent will help them learn about coverage options and the substantial premium subsidies available and even enroll them over the phone.
Employers! Contact us to help educate your employees. We can provide co-branded materials; no employer contribution or commitment needed. Simply post and share with your team to ensure they don’t lose coverage.