Health Section: Continuous Medicaid Unwinding: What’s Next for the Health Care Markets in 2024?

After being in effect for over three years, the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) expired in May 2023. From the start of the PHE, state Medicaid programs applied continuous coverage (or non-termination) requirements to access additional federal matching funds provided through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 ended the Medicaid continuous coverage requirements in March 2023, disconnecting the federal match requirements from the PHE. This change was projected to result in millions of individuals losing their Medicaid coverage, raising questions about significant short-term and long-term impacts on state Medicaid programs and other health insurance markets.  During this podcast, our guests discuss where we are over a year into the unwinding of the continuous coverage requirements, as well as the projected effects on health coverage for the Medicaid population. Presenters also shared considerations for addressing the unwinding in Medicaid managed care capitation rate-setting.