Nearly one million Floridians could lose their health insurance; here are their options

medical worker — Medical worker. By gorodenkoff via iStock for WMNF News.

About 900,000 Floridians are at risk of losing their health insurance through Medicaid. During the COVID-19 pandemic Medicaid coverage expanded because eligibility requirements were loosened.

But that expansion ended in April, so people might be in danger of losing their Medicaid because they’re no longer eligible.

To find out about what health insurance options these people have, we spoke with Katie Roders Turner, the executive director of the Family Health Care Foundation.

Listen to the full show here:

States could begin taking people off the Medicaid rolls in April. But Turner says, “Redeterminations began in April, the first terminations were effective May 1. This is a year-long process – not everyone has lost Medicaid on May 1.”

The Family Health Care Foundation provides navigators to help people through the process of finding health insurance. They can be reached at 813-995-7005.

“Navigators provide free and confidential assistance with renewing Medicaid benefits, or identifying other no cost or affordable health insurance,” according to Turner.

Watch the interview here:

Another option is your county’s health center. “Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk Counties have no- or low-cost county health care plans that adults may qualify for if they are losing Medicaid,” Turner said.

She has more advice: “Current Medicaid enrollees should 1) update their contact information with the Department of Children and Families, 2) look for a letter with a yellow stripe 3) respond to any requests for renewals or documents from the Department of Children and Families or Florida Healthy Kids.”