Health Care Authority warns 200000 might lose SoonerCare when public health emergency ends – Tulsa World

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority warns that nearly one in five Oklahomans with SoonerCare might be removed from the program after the federal public health emergency ends.

OHCA Secretary Kevin Corbett on Monday said “all indications and signals” are that the public health emergency declared when COVID-19 first swept through the U.S. two years ago will expire this year — perhaps as early as April 16. That means roughly 200,000 Oklahomans on Medicaid — called SoonerCare in Oklahoma — preliminarily appear to no longer qualify for the program, he said.

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OHCA asks that all SoonerCare members update their contact information and documentation to help the agency better understand which members will be eligible to renew benefits when the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary announces the end of the federal health emergency.

Corbett said the waiver of certain rules has been regularly renewed in 90-day intervals, helping prevent people with Medicaid from losing health coverage amid the pandemic. He suspects there might be one more extension because HHS hasn’t provided a 60-day notice that the declaration will terminate.

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“That’s been something that has allowed us to do a few things in terms of flexibilities, but also to have what I’ll call continuous coverage for many of our Medicaid members who would become ineligible during that period of time,” Corbett said. “But by virtue of the Public Health Emergency we were allowed to continue to serve them.”

Corbett said the Health Care Authority has performed “passive renewal or eligibility reviews” of data available publicly through information exchanges — primarily income — that suggests nearly 200,000 Oklahomans won’t qualify anymore for SoonerCare.

Medicaid stipulates that a single person’s income be at or below 138% of the federal poverty line, or $17,148, according to OHCA. A family of four has a cut off of $35,256.

Corbett said SoonerCare members are only removed from the program during the Public Health Emergency if they ask for it or they move out of state.

To put the 200,000 figure into perspective, Corbett said about 10,000 to 15,000 members per month on average would come off SoonerCare pre-pandemic because their circumstances changed to give them other health coverage options.

“It’s just an accumulation of that normal activity,” Corbett said.

Corbett expressed a commitment to work with individuals whose income exceeds the federal poverty limit requirement to find alternative health insurance options if necessary, such as through new employment or the fed’s health insurance exchange or community partners.

He said HealthCare.gov has subsidies available and low-cost premiums.

“We’re going to take all avenues to be thoughtful and compassionate about how we do this,” Corbett said. “We know this Public Health Emergency was put in place to make sure that there is a safety net for those that either had job loss and lost coverage or had critical health needs that we needed to serve.”

OHCA says that members updating their information will allow the agency to contact those who are effected via mail, emails or phone calls once an end date is announced.

Ineligible members will receive three notices that detail their end dates. Members will be removed in phases based on member use and critical health issues.

A second notice will be sent 45 days prior to a member’s scheduled end date, and a third notice 10 days before the loss of eligibility.

“This is occurring across the country; I hope everybody understands that,” Corbett said. “This is not a SoonerCare program taking this action. Every state in the union is having to go through this.”

What SoonerCare members can do today

Make sure their contact information and documentation are updated by logging in to mysoonercare.org or by calling the SoonerCare helpline at 1-800-987-7767.

Respond to Oklahoma Health Care Authority’s requests for information. If members have received a letter from OHCA requesting information, then they need to respond right away.

Source: Oklahoma Health Care Authority

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corey.jones@tulsaworld.com

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