States removing people from Medicaid rolls after pandemic enrollment freeze

Well over 1 million Medicaid recipients already have been removed from the rolls as states start enforcing eligibility rules for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.

States normally conduct periodic reviews to determine whether Medicaid recipients continue to meet the income thresholds and family circumstances required for the government health-care program for lower-income residents.

But federal law barred states from dropping people from Medicaid during the coronavirus pandemic in exchange for additional federal funding to the states.

As of February, the most recent month for which nationwide data is available, more than 93 million people were enrolled in Medicaid — up nearly one-third from the pre-pandemic total in January 2020.

The enrollment freeze ended in April, and states are now plowing through a backlog of cases to determine whether people should remain on Medicaid.

Some states are moving faster than others.