Challenges and Policy Considerations of the Medicaid Unwinding for People with Disabilities

Medicaid unwinding is the process of returning to normal operations after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency's Medicaid continuous enrollment provision, which ended on March 31, 2023. This unwinding of the continuous enrollment provision may have a profound effect on Medicaid enrollees with disabilities. These enrollees may have more difficulty navigating administrative and logistical hurdles to completing redetermination, and loss of coverage may have a tremendous impact on their ability to access needed healthcare services. Closer monitoring and implementation of assistance measures is needed for all enrollees, and enrollees with disabilities in particular, as the Medicaid unwinding proceeds. As health professionals, we highlight several policy considerations for state Medicaid agencies. First, states should broadly consider extending the redetermination period for individuals with disabilities. Second, federal and state funding should be allocated to increase resources for people with disabilities who are undergoing redetermination. Third, efforts should be made to make current communications more accessible. Lastly, improving transparency of disenrollments, including procedural disenrollments, during Medicaid unwinding will be key to identifying current trends and preventing future disparities.