GNYHA last week hosted a roundtable discussion on how providers can help New York’s effort to renew and recertify the State’s more than nine million Medicaid recipients.
The Medicaid eligibility process was paused during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), allowing millions to enroll. In addition, those who were covered prior to the PHE did not have to renew their eligibility. The end of the PHE means states now have up to 12 months to initiate—and 14 months to complete—renewals for all Medicaid enrollees beginning April 1, 2023.
New York State Department of Health (DOH) Child Health Plus and Marketplace Consumer Assistance Group Director Gabrielle Armenia highlighted DOH’s recent online trainings for assistors to identify Medicaid beneficiaries who need to renew or recertify eligibility by using their online dashboards. Nearly 75-80% of New York State of Health enrollees have assistors, she said. DOH has told assistors to “proactively” contact beneficiaries to ask them to renew. Ms. Armenia also noted that most Medicaid health plans are using telephone outreach programs to help beneficiaries.
GNYHA members highlighted their own efforts, which generally encompass distributing and promoting recertification handouts from DOH’s website and doing more targeted outreach with recurring patients (e.g.., dialysis and mental health patients) to alert them to the need to recertify.