Quick signature: Tell HHS Secretary Becerra to act again to protect
Medicaid! *When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have
your information.
[ [link removed] ]Take Action Now
[ [link removed] ]SIGN NOW

Dear Friend,

Right now, there is a quiet healthcare emergency happening. Nearly four
million people have lost their Medicaid coverage, a third of whom are
children! [ [link removed] ] Over the years, countless moms like Erin from Florida, have
shared how critical Medicaid is for their families:

“My son was born with congenital heart defects. He had his first surgery
at a week old, and was kept in the hospital for almost a month. He had
open-heart surgery after a simple cath procedure didn't work when he was
only 5 months old. Again, he was in the hospital for almost a month. He is
now 5 years old, and he has a couple of other issues with his heart that
his cardiologist is monitoring closely. He goes to doctors visits at least
3 times more than the average child. If we did not have Medicaid for him,
I honestly don't know what we would do. The thought of losing his Medicaid
TERRIFIES me.”

[1]SIGN OUR LETTER now to protect the healthcare of families like Erin’s
and millions of others. *When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if
we already have your information.

Why are millions of people losing Medicaid coverage?

When the pandemic began in early 2020, Congress enacted several laws to
help people and states get through the public health emergency and
economic crises. One law gave states additional federal Medicaid funding
as long as they kept people enrolled in Medicaid coverage during the
COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The nation’s uninsured rate
declined to a historic low of 7.7% in the first quarter of 2023, due in
part to the continuous enrollment provision in Medicaid. [ [link removed] ]

Now that the public health emergency has officially ended, the requirement
that states provide continuous coverage has ended as well. Tragically,
millions of people are losing coverage because they do not realize they
need to reenroll or have been deterred by complicated paperwork and
administrative procedures imposed by many states.

While we are grateful to the Biden Administration for taking critical
steps during the pandemic to make sure people didn’t lose their insurance,
we must urge the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier
Becerra to act again to protect Medicaid by providing more oversight of
the states.

Whether it’s for preventive care, physical or speech therapy, prenatal
care, expensive medications, maintenance of a chronic condition, or
nursing home care, Medicaid is a life-saving and life-sustaining health
insurance program for over 84 Million people in the U.S. [ [link removed] ] It helps to
keep our children, families, and communities healthy.

[2]Add your name! Everyone deserves to receive health care when they get
sick. No exceptions. Urge U.S. Secretary HHS Xavier Becerra to act again
to protect Medicaid coverage! * When you click, you’ll automatically sign
on if we already have your information. 

These past few years have made it crystal clear that it is critical for
everyone to have health care and that our neighbors’ health is tied to our
own. Medicaid ensures some of our most vulnerable family members and
community members can access essential services like doctor visits,
hospital stays, prescription drugs, and long-term/nursing home care.

The Medicaid program serves children, people who are disabled, elderly, or
pregnant, and low-income individuals. It is also essential to reducing
racial and ethnic disparities in health coverage. Nearly half of all
births are paid for by Medicaid [ [link removed] ] and it provides health coverage for
about 40% of all children in the U.S. [ [link removed] ] In addition, it is the single
largest payer of behavioral health services. 

Concerns among experts are rising, suggesting that up to 15 million
individuals across the country might face the loss of their health
coverage, with children and individuals of color being disproportionately
affected. [ [link removed] ] The situation could have been different—approximately 75% of
those who have already experienced coverage loss did so because of
administrative reasons, not due to their ineligibility. These reasons
include issues like renewal notices not being sent to the correct
addresses, people not understanding the notices, and mistakes or delays by
state agencies. [ [link removed] ] It’s time for HHS to provide more oversight to help
our country ensure continued Medicaid coverage.

[3]Don’t forget to sign on! Urge Secretary Becerra to implement additional
enforcement actions to protect our patients’ continued access to care
through Medicaid!

When you click, you’ll automatically sign on to our petition that reads:

Dear Secretary Becerra, 

Thank you for taking strong steps to ensure that families had access to
health coverage during the COVID-19 public health emergency. We need your
action again to provide strong oversight of the states to ensure there is
continued Medicaid coverage for our families!

We are deeply concerned about the recent loss of Medicaid coverage by
nearly 3.8 million individuals, a figure that is likely an underestimate
due to limited available data. Equally troubling is that the majority of
these coverage losses stem from administrative issues. Based on data
compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation, it's evident that 73% of those
disenrolled faced termination due to procedural factors. These issues
within the administrative process highlight substantial challenges in
various states, including the delivery of notices and renewal forms to
enrollees, insufficient public education campaigns, inadequate support for
individuals seeking to renew coverage, and other related obstacles. To
ensure the safeguarding of patients' access to healthcare under the
Medicaid program, we emphasize the necessity for enhanced transparency and
stronger enforcement measures. Our specific calls to action for the
administration include: 

* Expedite the release of monthly data reports: The Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services (CMS) should make sure that states' information is
disclosed within 30 days of reporting, considering that the data
unveiled today pertains only to April and represents data from merely
18 states. Urgent actions require timely information. 
* Provide comprehensive details about enforcement actions: While CMS
recently issued a fact sheet outlining its monitoring and oversight of
states on July 18, stakeholders need precise information regarding
states that have violated federal mandates and the subsequent
resolutions. Such insights are vital for effective support and
accountability.
* Maximize the enforcement authority granted to the Secretary of Health
and Human Services: Congress bestowed the Secretary with enforcement
capabilities in December. In this context, the Secretary must enforce
corrective action plans in instances where states fall short of
federal requirements. Suspension of terminations for procedural causes
and the imposition of civil monetary penalties should follow if
submitted or implemented action plans are inadequate. Despite the
time-consuming nature of this process, its prompt initiation is of
paramount importance.

The more people who speak out, the bigger our impact. Please take a moment
to share our action link with your friends and family: [link removed]

Thanks for taking action to protect the health and lives of the millions
of people who are insured through Medicaid! Together we are a powerful
voice for the health of families.

- Tasmiha, Felicia, Donna, Kristin, and the whole MomsRising.org &
MamásConPoder Team

P.S. For more information about Medicaid renewals, contact your state
Medicaid office. Have you or someone you love benefited from Medicaid? Or
have you lost Medicaid coverage because of the end the requirement that
states provide continuous coverage? [4]Tell us about it!

References:

 1. Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker,
[5][link removed]
[6][link removed]
 2. The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, National
Uninsured Rate Reaches an All-Time Low in Early 2023 After the Close
of the ACA Open Enrollment Period,
[7][link removed]
 3. Medicaid.gov, November 2022 Medicaid & CHIP Enrollment Data Highlights
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 4. Kaiser Family Foundation, Births Financed by Medicaid
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 5. Congressional Research Service, Medicaid: An Overview
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 6. The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Unwinding the
Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision: Projected Enrollment Effects
and Policy Approaches,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 7. The Washington Post, Nearly 4 million in U.S. cut from Medicaid, most
for paperwork reasons,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]


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