The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare continues to re-evaluate eligibility for people enrolled in Medicaid who have been protected from being disenrolled from the program during the pandemic.

As of April 24, we have processed 43,419 re-evaluations out of the total of 153,857 people in Medicaid Protection. Of those, 15,837 have been determined eligible and 27,582 have been determined to be ineligible.  Customers determined ineligible for Medicaid because their income was over the limit to qualify for Medicaid have been referred to the state’s health insurance marketplace, called Your Health Idaho, to determine their options.

Those who no longer qualify for Medicaid may be eligible for the Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC). That credit can be used to buy health insurance on the state-based health insurance market. The department has worked closely with Your Health Idaho to create transitions for those who may need to switch from one kind of coverage to the other.

Medicaid Protection was put in place at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provided continued Medicaid coverage for people who may have become ineligible. States were not allowed to remove anyone from Medicaid rolls unless they died, moved out of state, or requested to be removed. The U.S. Congress ended that protection earlier this year.

DHW started sending notices in February and will continue to do so each month through July for those in Medicaid Protection.

We are publishing the numbers by 5 p.m. each Monday at https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/medicaidprotection.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.