600,000 in Arizona could lose health insurance after the public health emergency expires
Download mp3 (10.82 MB)At the beginning of the pandemic, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act gave states extra federal funding in exchange for continuing coverage for people receiving Medicaid benefits.
That was supposed to extend through the end of the public health emergency. But late last year, Congress voted to allow states to begin disenrolling members who are no longer eligible for services starting this spring, even though the public health emergency is set to continue for several more months.
This means that millions of people across the country could lose health benefits over the next year. Arizona’s Medicaid agency, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System estimates that as many as 600,000 people in the state could be disenrolled.
Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, joined The Show to talk about what this could mean for Arizonans.
