Biden administration urges states to slow down on dropping people from Medicaid

By DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Biden administration is urging states to slow down their efforts to remove people from Medicaid. States had been prohibited from dropping people from the government-funded health care program during the coronavirus pandemic. But that came to halt in April, and states now must redetermine people’s eligibility. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra sent a letter Monday to governors raising concerns about large numbers of people losing coverage for administrative reasons, like not returning information forms. He’s urging states to use greater flexibility, including in delaying terminations for one month while trying to reach people.