A recent analysis by KFF explores the unwinding of the pandemic continuous enrollment provision in Medicaid, with a focus on its impact on different racial and ethnic groups. This analysis was based on data from the nine states reporting data that allowed for analysis of disenrollment patterns by race and ethnicity as of September 2023: Arizona, California, Indiana, Minnesota, Oregon, Nevada, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Washington. The analysis found that across these states, the racial and ethnic composition of people losing coverage generally mirrors that of the overall Medicaid population. While available data on Medicaid disenrollments by race/ethnicity suggest people of color are not at greater risk of being disenrolled, the data reported to date are limited, and the experiences of people of color in the reporting states may not be similar to those of people in non-reporting states. KFF strongly recommends that states proactively report disenrollment data by race and ethnicity during the Medicaid unwinding period, stressing that such data are invaluable for tracking trends, addressing disparities, and guiding targeted outreach efforts to ensure equitable access to health care coverage.
Click here to view KFF’s complete analysis.
