24.8M people now disenrolled from Medicaid: 13 notes for dentists

About 24.8 million people have been disenrolled from Medicaid as of Aug. 1, according to data from KFF.

KFF has been tracking Medicaid enrollment since May 3, 2023, after the continuous enrollment requirement enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic ended March 31, 2023. The tracker uses information from state websites and CMS.

About 23.8 million people had been disenrolled as of June 28.

Thirteen notes for dentists:

1. More than 94 million people were enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program in March 2023.

2. The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health warned in April 2023 that more than 14 million adults who are on Medicaid could lose their dental coverage as part of the redetermination process.

3. Recent data from CareQuest shows that about 12 million adults and children lost their dental coverage between April and September of 2023, with an additional two million people estimated to have lost coverage between September and December 2023. 

4. Approximately 54.3 million people have had their coverage renewed so far.

5. There are still renewals waiting for 15 million people. 

6. KFF noted that its dashboard undercounts the actual number of disenrollments to date due to delays for when states report data.

7. KFF also reported that some states have adopted policies that promote continued coverage for people who remain eligible and have automated eligibility systems that can process renewals more accurately, while other states are using manually-driven systems.

8. Texas has disenrolled 2.5 million people so far, the most of any state.

9. California has renewed coverage for 8.7 million people, the most of any state.

10. Across all states with available data, 69% of all people disenrolled had their coverage terminated for procedural reasons, which can include people who did not complete the renewal process.

11. Of those who had their coverage renewed, 61% of people were renewed on an ex parte basis. 

12. Medicaid and CHIP enrollment has declined by 13.9% nationwide since the unwinding process began.

13. CareQuest's Director of Public Policy, Melissa Burroughs, told Becker's that the loss of coverage could have a significant impact on overall health and health equity. 

"We're likely to see patients skipping care they need because they can't afford it," she said. "That may be that they're skipping preventive care [or] putting off care for major problems until they end up in the emergency room. It results in people not being able to get the care they need and worsening problems and making care more expensive down the line."

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