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CNWEEKLYNEWS.COM
THURSDAY JUNE 22, 2023
More than 1 million people have been dropped from Medicaid in the past couple months as some states moved swiftly to halt healthcare coverage following the end of the coronavirus pandemic. Most got dropped for not filling out paperwork. Though the eligibility review is required by the federal government, President Joe Biden’s administration isn’t too pleased at how efficiently some other states are accomplishing the task. “Pushing through things and rushing it will lead to eligible people — kids and families — losing coverage for some period of time,” Daniel Tsai, a top federal Medicaid official recently told reporters. Florida has dropped several hundred thousand people, by far the most among states. The drop rate also has been particularly high in other states. For people whose cases were decided in May, around half or more got dropped in Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia. By its own count, Arkansas has dropped more than 140,000 people from Medicaid. The eligibility redeterminations have created headaches for Jennifer Mojica, 28, who was told in April that she no longer qualified for Medicaid because Arkansas had incorrectly determined her income was above the limit. She got that resolved, but was then told her 5-year-old son was being dropped from Medicaid because she had requested his cancellation — something that never happened, she said. Her son’s coverage has been restored, but now Mojica says she’s been told her husband no longer qualifies. The uncertainty has been frustrating, she said. “It was like fixing one thing and then another problem came up, and they fixed it and then something else came up,” Mojica said.
Jarrett: Formal Education is Key One hundred and ten educators including the President of the Jamaica Teachers Association Mrs. La Sonja Harrison, made the trek from Jamaica to South Florida continues on B3 – Charity Day Gala
continues on B2 – Medicaid
WHAT’S INSIDE NEWSMAKER
HAITI
SPORTS
Frances-Anne Solomon’s “Hero” comes to BBC A3
CARICOM reiterates commitment to Haiti A7
Everton’s Demarai Gray makes the cut for Jamaica’s squad c3
P R O U D LY C E L E B R AT E S
JUNETEENTH