Hoosiers added to Medicaid during pandemic could be at risk of losing coverage

Thousands of Hoosiers could be at risk of losing health insurance if and when the public health emergency ends. The federal emergency order was extended this month and is now set to expire in July. 

The order started in March 2020 and requires states to offer continuous coverage to people.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services advised states to develop plans to reevaluate cases when the emergency order ends.

Adam Mueller, executive director of nonprofit legal advocacy group Indiana Justice Project, said there’s concern that people will lose coverage.

“People that should still be eligible will slip through the cracks because it’s such a mammoth undertaking to make sure everybody gets reviewed,” Mueller said.

The federal emergency order allowed about a half a million people in Indiana to be added to Medicaid plans, including the Healthy Indiana Plan.

Mueller said people should make sure they are in contact with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration and their health plan.

“This is something they maybe haven’t done in a couple of years or haven’t ever done because they applied and got on,” Mueller said.

Mueller said people should update their most recent information and respond to any correspondence from the state.

Contact WFYI city government and policy reporter Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @JillASheridan.