Thousands are expected to lose Medicaid coverage in Alabama as program "unwinds" from COVID emergency

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) -- Millions of people nationwide are expected to lose Medicaid coverage as the COVID-19 health emergency ends. Hundreds of thousands will likely lose coverage in Alabama and Florida. It's been described as an unwinding of Medicaid coverage as the government returns to more normal operations when it comes to who maintains coverage.

Victory Health Partners is one of those stop-gap places for people who may not qualify for Medicaid but also may not be able to afford private insurance plans. The news site Alabama Reflector says while the state Medicaid agency is so far not reporting how many people could no longer have coverage after the COVID emergency, it could be 170,000 people. Some could lose their coverage unexpectedly and that can lead to people putting off needed healthcare and medicines.

"Significant numbers. So encourage everyone to be mindful of what's going on and to see if they have coverage and to know that there are also resources here in their community. If they find themselves without coverage. And that's where Victory Health partners and other free and credible clinics can come in and be that safety net for someone who might be in that gap without health insurance," said Director of Victory Health Partners Kim Garrett. "It's so important to be mindful of your access to health care, because if you are struggling with a chronic disease, if you're struggling with diabetes, you do not need to go without your insulin, your medications. That doctor-patient relationship is critical." According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's 2023 County Health Rankings, one in five people in Mobile County consider themselves in poor health. Medicaid enrollment grew by more than 23 million people during the pandemic emergency.