By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News
Tired of waiting for states to reduce their backlogs of Medicaid applications, the Obama administration has given California and five other states until Monday to submit plans to resolve issues that have prevented more than 1 million low-income or disabled people from getting health coverage.
“CMS is asking several state Medicaid agencies to provide updated mitigation plans to address gaps that exist in their eligibility and enrollment systems to ensure timely processing of applications and access to coverage for eligible people,” said Aaron Albright, a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. He said the agency will monitor states’ progress in solving the problems getting people enrolled in the state-federal insurance program for the poor.
In addition to California, the other states are Alaska, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Tennessee.
The agency sent letters June 27 requesting the plans, giving states 10 days to respond. It is unclear if any have submitted plans yet. The letters was first reported by InsideHealthPolicy, a trade publication.