About 28,000 Alabamians lost Medicaid coverage in August, according to recent eligibility statistics from the Alabama Medicaid Agency AMA). And that brings the total number removed from the state Medicaid since the COVID-19 continuous coverage period ended in June to 50,000.

This drop in eligibility numbers wasn’t unexpected, according to AMA’s communications director, Melanie Cleveland. Applicants have 90 days to reapply for coverage.

“The Alabama Medicaid Agency has worked diligently with providers and Medicaid partners to notify recipients that they must respond at their renewal time, even if they think they are not eligible any longer, as they may qualify for other programs,” Cleveland said.

These numbers align with the predictions of Jennifer Harris, health policy advocate with the nonprofit Alabama Arise.

“It’s not great, especially knowing that we have not expanded Medicaid, because we know a lot of those people will probably be falling into the coverage gap.”

The coverage gap is when a person doesn’t have enough income to afford private insurance or is ineligible for Healthcare.gov subsidies but also makes too much money to qualify for Medicaid.

Alabama is one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid – affecting an estimated 2.3 million people nationwide. In Alabama, an additional 146,000 Alabamians would receive healthcare coverage through Medicaid if Gov. Ivey expanded the program, according to a report released Oct. 23 from the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The uninsured population in Alabama would be reduced by 37%. The report indicates some of the most significant uninsured reductions among the Black population.

Healthcare advocacy organization The Commonwealth Fund estimates that 3.8 million people have lost Medicaid coverage nationally since the expiration of the continuous coverage period. During that period, Medicaid recipients didn’t have to re-enroll because of the 2020 Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Harris recommends that those who’ve lost Medicaid contact the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program (ADAP). Those who wish to enroll in Medicaid or need assistance with Healthcare.gov should dial 211 to be connected to a health navigator or use the Enroll Alabama website.