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March 31, 2022 | Volume 26, No. 3| Archives
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| Heads Up: Millions at Risk of Losing Medicaid
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| In This Issue:
- End of Public Health Emergency: Medicaid Redeterminations
- Substance Use/Harm Reduction in the News
- Congress/Administration: Federal Budgets
- COVID Corner
- War On LGBTQ People
- Healthcare NOW’s Single Payer Conference
- What We’re Reading
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End of Public Health Emergency: Medicaid Redeterminations
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Public Health Emergency Will Expire Sometime Soon: The federal public health emergency declaration is currently set to expire April 16, although it may be extended further. WARNING: Once the emergency ends, all states will start the process for re-determining Medicaid eligibility for all enrollees. While states have a great deal of flexibility on how they proceed with renewing eligibility, it is all-too predictable that people experiencing homelessness will be especially vulnerable to losing Medicaid coverage. At the same time, we also know that there are many who are currently eligible for Medicaid, but unenrolled. See our fact sheet to find the insurance coverage rate among HCH clients in your state.
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| WARNING: Medicaid Redeterminations
Contact your state Medicaid officials to ensure they are using as many electronic verification measures as possible to renew coverage without needing to contact Medicaid enrollees. It is especially important that states not simply rely on “the letter,” which invariably is not received or returned within a short time period. Additionally, you can submit comments (due by April 16) to CMS about the barriers to Medicaid enrollment in response to a CMS Request for Information.
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Substance Use/Harm Reduction in the News
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Last month’s Mobilizer detailed significant concerns about the Administration’s response to criticisms of harm reduction approaches to substance use disorder. Since then, President Biden delivered his State of the Union address, where he specifically mentioned the need to reduce barriers to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), make permanent the COVID flexibilities that eased access to MOUD treatment, establish a set of hospital recommendations for overdose care and care coordination, and continue to support harm reduction programs.
Related Reading
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| | Congress/Administration: Federal Budgets
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FY2022 Budget
FY2023 Budget
The FY22 budget was delayed for months by continuing resolutions, and now it is time for the FY2023 budget, which the President released on Monday. See the White House fact sheet on the FY2023 budget, as well as HHS’s FY2023 Budget in Brief for more details about health care program funding. Items of particular interest include $50 billion for housing and a new billionaire’s income tax.
Related Reading
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Congress did NOT include in the FY22 budget the White House request for $22.5 billion to extend COVID-19 funding for testing, vaccines, and treatments for the uninsured. The Biden Administration released a fact sheet on the consequences for this funding lapse. Now, those who are uninsured will have to pay out of pocket for tests (which can be up to $195). On April 5, COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be free, either. This will likely drive up COVID-19 infection rates.
Keep up with COVID-19 issues by subscribing to our monthly COVID-19 Flash Blast—our last issue went out on March 23.
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| The CDC developed a new Quarantine and Isolation Calculator to help individuals determine if and for how long they need to quarantine after an exposure or isolate after testing positive. The calculator also tells someone when they should get tested after a COVID exposure. Meanwhile, Moderna asked the FDA to authorize a vaccine for children age 6 months to 6 years, and at the same time, the FDA is likely to authorize a second booster shot for those age 50+.
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The Texas Governor declared war on transgender youth, their parents, and their health care providers when he issued a directive that makes providing gender-affirming care for youth a felony (and requires health care workers to report families who engage in such care). Similarly, Florida passed a law prohibiting discussion of sexual orientation in schools. Note: These laws are not limited to just these two states because 238 anti-LGBTQ laws have been introduced in nearly every state legislature this year alone.
Find out what’s going on in YOUR state legislature with this list of legislation from the American Civil Liberties Union, and communicate with your state legislators to oppose these measures! Trans-care is health care -- and denying health care is evil and wrong.
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This Weekend: Healthcare NOW's Single Payer Conference!
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The virtual Medicare for All conference will take place this weekend (April 2-3). See HCN’s website for more information!
Related Reading
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Wanted: A Health Policy Manager
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Do you want to write this Mobilizer, advocate for human rights, and work with an amazing community of people? We are hiring for a Health Policy Manager, a position based in either Baltimore, MD or Washington, DC.
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Did you receive Mobilizer as a forwarded email or hear about it via social media? Register now to receive our action alerts each month!
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This publication and all HCH advocacy are funded by dues from Organizational Members of the Council and by private donations. Consider joining the Council to support this work.
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