>> ERIC: DURING THE NATIONAL COVID EMERGENCY, MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY WAS LOOSENED, WITH THE RESULT THAT MORE PEOPLE QUALIFIED FOR NEEDED COVERAGE.

WITH THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION COMING TO A FORMAL END SOON, MEDICAID RECIPIENTS HERE AND ELSEWHERE WILL NEED TO REAPPLY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

IT'S A BIG PROCESS, AND HERE TO TALK MORE, DR. NATHAN CHOMILO.

HE IS THE MEDICAID MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

WELCOME BACK TO THE PROGRAM, DOCTOR.

JUST SOME QUICK DEFINITION OF TERMS.

IT'S MEDICAID WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT.

NOT MEDICARE.

AND TO FURTHER COMPLICATE THINGS, THE STATE CALLS IT MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, NOT MEDICAID.

BUT HOW BIG A JOB IS THIS GOING TO BE AS FOLKS REAPPLY?

>> IT'S GOING TO BE A PRETTY BIG JOB WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HERE TO TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT.

RITE NOW, ROUGHLY ONE IN FOUR MINNESOTANS ARE COVERED BY EITHER MEDICAID OR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE OR MINNESOTACARE, OUR BASIC HEALTH PLAN FOR OW INCOME MINNESOTANS AS WELL.

AND SO IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY, SOMEONE IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS GETTING COVERAGE FROM THE STATE NOW.

AND WE HAVE TO REENROLL EVERYONE IN THE PROGRAM.

SO THAT'S 1.5 MILLION MINNESOTANS ROUGHLY, AND SO FOLKS HAVE CALLED THIS THE BIGGEST THING TO HIT MEDICAID SINCE THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.

>> Cathy: SO HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHO'S ON MED MEDICAID.

OBVIOUSLY THERE'S FINANCIAL BENCHMARKS.

>> SO TO APPLY OR BE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS FOR MOST FOLKS, INCOME-BASED.

THERE ARE CERTAIN FOLKS WHO GET IT THROUGH OTHER, ELDERS AND FOLKS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES THAT CAN QUALIFY FOR IT AS WELL.

SO -- BUT WE'RE TRACKING, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT WE SERVE, AND SO THE PROBLEM IS, THOUGH, FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVEN'T BEEN IN ROUTINE CONTACT AS FAR AS GETTING FOLKS' ADDRESSES, PEOPLE MOVE, PEOPLE CHANGE, AND SO IT IS GOING TO BE A BIG EFFORT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW THAT IF THEY DON'T GET THAT MESSAGE IN THE MAIL THAT WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO CONNECT WITH THEM, LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'RE UP FOR RENEWAL AND HOPEFULLY KEEP THAT COUGH RAJ.

>> Eric: HOW MUCH FRAUD IN THE REAPPLICATION ARE YOU WILLING TO ACCEPT?

>> YOU KNOW, WE REALLY ARE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE WHO IS ELIGIBLE, FOR MEDICAID, ONTINUES TO KEEP THAT ELIGIBILITY.

WE KNOW THAT HISTORICALLY THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHURN, MEANING THAT FOLKS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE LOSE COVERAGE BECAUSE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HURDLES.

THEY DIDN'T GET THAT MESSAGE IN THE MAIL.

YOU KNOW, THREW IT OUT WITH ALL THE OTHER MAIL.

AND SO THEY SHOW UP TO THE PHARMACY WITH THEIR MEDICATIONS, AND THEY CAN'T GET THEM.

AND SO IT'S NOT ONLY IMPACTING THEIR HEALTH BUT IMPACTING THEIR FINANCES.

SO WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON KEEPING FOLKS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE KELGTED.

>> Eric: BUT IS THERE GOING TO BE A SCREEN TO VERIFY INCOME LEVELS AND ELIGIBILITY LEFTS?

>> SO FOLKS ARE ALWAYS REQUIRED TO PRESENT THEIR INFORMATION THAT -- AND FILL OUT AN APPLICATION THAT THEN HELPS US DETERMINE IF THEY MEET ELIGIBILITY, WHETHER IT'S FOR MEDICAID OR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

WHETHER IT'S FOR MINNESOTACARE.

OR THEN WE CAN CONNECT THEM TO QUALIFYING HEALTH PLANS THROUGH THE MARKETPLACE IF THEY DON'T -- NO LONGER QUALIFY FOR THAT.

SO WE'RE REALLY DEDICATED TO AGAIN KEEPING FOLKS ON IT, BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A BIG IMPACT TO YOUR HEALTH.

SOON YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE INSURANCE TO EVEN ACCESS PAXLOVID.

SO WE EALLY WANT TO KEEP FOLKS CONNECTED TO THEIR HEALTHCARE SO WE DON'T SEE SOME OF THESE GAPS IN HEALTH EMERGE.

AND WE'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT HOW TO CONNECT WITH COMMUNITIES AND MEET THEM WHERE WE'RE THEY'RE AT DURING COVID-19.

MEETING IN CHURCHES AND SHELTERS AND OTHER PLACES.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY OCUSED ON HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO GROW FROM THOSE LESSONS AND MEET MINNESOTANS WHERE THEY'RE AT.

>> Cathy: SO IF SOMEONE DOES FIND THAT THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE BECAUSE OF COURSE RULES WERE RELAXED, CAN THEY GO THROUGH MNsure WHICH OF COURSE IS THE PROGRAM WHICH HELPS RESIDENTS WHO MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY TO QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID, STEER THEM IN THESE RIGHT DIRECTIONS SO THEY ARE COVERED?

>> YES, SO INTERESTS A SITE, RENEW MY COVERAGE, SO YOU CAN PE GET N ON THE TIMING THIS.

IT'S GOING TO BE BASED ON WHEN YOU FIRST ENROLLED IN MEDICAID OR MINNESOTACARE.

AND THEN IF YOU DO FIND OUT THAT OU'RE NO LONGER MNsure, WE'RE WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH WITH NAVIGATORS.

NAVIGATORS ARE KEY TO HELPING FOLKS -- >> Cathy: IT'S COMPLICATED.

>> AS A PHYSICIAN, I KNOW, FIGURING OUT WHICH HEALTH INSURANCE I'M GOING TO GET CAN SOMETIMES BE A LITTLE HEAD SPINNY.

>> Eric: CAN FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO REAPPLY, IS THERE STEPS THEY CAN TAKE BEFORE -- I THINK MAY 11TH IS THE OPENING DATE.

WHAT SHOULD THEY KNOW ABOUT IT GOING FORWARD HERE?

>> SO FA YOU'RE KNOW YOU'RE ON MEDICAID OR MINNESOTACARE, REACHING OUT TO YOUR HEALTH PLANS TO MAKE SURE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION IS UP TO DATE.

YOU CAN TOUCH BASE WITH YOUR COUNTY AS WELL IF THAT'S WHO'S SERVICING YOUR MEDICAID.

AND THEN WE HAVE A CALENDAR ON OUR RENEW Y COVERAGE SITE THAT REALLY SHOWS THAT FOLKS THE RENEWAL PROCESS WILL START FOR FOLKS FIRST IN THAT JULY MONTH OF RENEWALS, AND EACH MONTH WILL BE SENDING OUT NOTICES AHEAD -- TO TRY TO MAKE SURE FOLKS GET THAT INFORMATION ON TIME SO THEY CAN COMPLETE THAT APPLICATION AND BE RENEWED.

>> Cathy: WOW, IT IS COMPLICATED, I GOT TO TELL YOU.

WE WISH YOU WELL, THOUGH.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> Eric: KEEP US