WASHINGTON—Today, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services sent a letter to all states and U.S. territories requiring them to determine if they have an eligibility systems issue that could cause entire households to be disenrolled from Medicaid or CHIP even if they are eligible for coverage. If a state has an eligibility systems issue, they must do the following, to avoid CMS enforcement to bring states into compliance:

1. Pause procedural disenrollments for those individuals impacted,

2. Reinstate coverage for all affected individuals and provide retroactive eligibility back to the date of termination,

3. Implement one or more CMS-approved mitigation strategies until such time that the state has fixed all systems and processes to prevent continued inappropriate disenrollments, and

4. Fix state systems and processes to ensure renewals are conducted appropriately and in accordance with federal Medicaid requirements.

Juliet K. Choi, president and CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) released the following statement:

“We applaud CMS for taking bold action to safeguard health care coverage for millions of families across our nation as we continue to face the devastating impacts of disenrollment from Medicaid Unwinding, which disproportionately affects communities of color, immigrants and individuals with limited English proficiency.

“Health care is a fundamental right, and ensuring that children and families have reliable access to necessary services is paramount. It is unconscionable for states to disenroll thousands of families, including children, due to a state’s systems and operational issues. This action today by CMS is a positive and necessary step toward protecting coverage for low-income families, and we are optimistic that the Biden administration will continue to forge forth towards affordable, quality care for all families.”

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The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) influences policy, mobilizes communities and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.