Got Medicaid? NY’s Healthfirst Leads The Way In Ensuring the Millions of Members At Risk of Losing Their Coverage Don’t
If you have Medicaid or any government sponsored health plan, keep reading. Since the pandemic was declared over, auto renewals are ending and more than 18 million people could lose coverage.
Do you have Medicaid or a similar health plan? If so, you may have lost your coverage without even knowing. The government has stopped all auto-renewals since the end of the pandemic, which means you could be one of 18 million people who may lose coverage.
The worst time to find out you don’t have health insurance is at your visit to the doctor when you need it the most! So, today we’re talking to Dr. Errol Pierre, SVP of State Programs at Healthfirst — the largest non-profit health plan in NY serving close to 2 million members — about Black Women + Healthcare Disparities & Access.
Let’s start by introducing you. Who is Dr. Errol Pierre and what do you do?
As you stated, my name is Errol Pierre and I am the Senior Vice President of State Programs at Healthfirst, Inc., the largest non-profit health plan in New York State, serving close to 2 million members. In this role, I am accountable for growth, profit/loss, sales and retention for the Medicaid, Long-Term Care, and Commercial product portfolios.
What is the greatest current issue threatening access to healthcare now that we are post the COVID-19 pandemic?
The greatest healthcare issue post-pandemic is the ongoing effort to have people re-acquainted with the annual Medicaid renewal process. Because people did not have to renew manually between 2020 and 2023, this recertification/renewal process is the single largest health coverage transition event since the first open enrollment of the Affordable Care Act and the Medicaid expansion.
One of the main challenges with the end of autorenewals is a potential lack of awareness of people knowing they have to renew this health coverage.
At Healthfirst, we face the challenge of educating members about when and how they must renew their plans to avoid losing their healthcare coverage.
What is the current status of Medicaid enrollment and why is it so important? What is on the line? What products are at risk?
Details vary from state to state but since renewals began again in March of 2023 in New York, Healthfirst has been on a mission to educate, remind and support our members about renewing their coverage.
This change impacts programs like Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Essential Plan, and the Health and Recovery Program (HARP). It also impacts seniors 65 and over who have both Medicaid and Medicare or Medicaid Long Term Care.
It is critical to raise awareness about the changes coming and to educate on the importance of
