Millions of Floridians may lose Medicaid coverage

TAMPA, Fla. - With eligibility reviews resuming after a three-year pandemic pause for people who get Medicaid coverage, the Florida Department of Children and Families is urging recipients to get ready to renew their Medicaid coverage.

Four things Florida wants recipients to know about their Medicaid redetermination:

1. Be on the lookout for notices from the Department so you will know when you need to take action regarding your coverage. Be sure to update your contact information through your MyAccess account.
2. If you are still eligible and we can renew your coverage without you doing anything, we will. If this is the case, you will receive an approval letter when your Medicaid coverage has been renewed.
3. If we are not able to renew your coverage automatically, we will send you a notice to reapply, and you will need to take action and complete a redetermination. If you do not respond, you may lose your Medicaid coverage.
4. If you are no longer eligible for Medicaid, there are other options! See 5 Options for Healthcare flyer and visit Myflfamilies.com/Medicaid

On the webpage created to guide recipients through the renewal process, the department said in part:

"Since the beginning of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), as a requirement to receive additional funding from the federal government, Florida has provided continuous Medicaid coverage and has not disenrolled ineligible recipients. As a result of this policy, Florida saw a significant increase in the number of individuals and families seeking Medicaid assistance, from 3.8 million enrolled in March 2020 to 5.5 million in November 2022. Medicaid eligibility in Florida is determined either by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) or the Social Security Administration (for SSI recipients) while the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) administers the Medicaid Program. Each month the Department processes, on average, 220,658 Medicaid applications, redeterminations, or requests for additional assistance. As a result of legislative changes in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, the continuous coverage provision will end on March 31, 2023, and is untied from the end of the PHE. The Department will follow federal guidance to restore Medicaid eligibility through normal processing while working to ensure eligible recipients remain enrolled. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) allows state agencies up to 12 months to complete Medicaid reviews once the continuous coverage period ends. Florida will undertake this task by scheduling and conducting redeterminations in a manner that will meet federal regulatory requirements while minimizing the impact on families."

DCF said it would work to notify and communicate to all current Medicaid recipients their redetermination timeframes and next steps over the next 12 months.