Medicaid Reinstates Coverage for Half a Million Children and Families

Nearly half a million children and individuals in 30 states have been improperly dropped from Medicaid rolls due to computer system failures in determining eligibility. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have halted the campaign to assess eligibility for safety-net health insurance in more than half the country. CMS officials have ordered states to reinstate those who were wrongly cut off from Medicaid, with some states expected to resume the process by the end of the month. The issue primarily affects children, as the flawed assessment method assessed households as a whole instead of individual members. The problem is the most serious to arise since the resumption of Medicaid assessments earlier this year.