CareSouth Carolina showcased for “transforming care”
The monumental task of assessing the eligibility of 92.3 million Americans for Medicaid benefits based on their age, income, and disability status has begun in all 50 states. These crucial “redeterminations,” typically conducted annually, were temporarily halted during the COVID-19 public health emergency to ensure continuous coverage for individuals at high risk of severe outcomes from the disease.
As the redetermination process unfolds, an estimated 15 million individuals are projected to lose their Medicaid benefits over the next 13 months, according to The Commonwealth Fund. Some will no longer meet their state’s eligibility criteria, while others may be disenrolled due to administrative and paperwork errors. Among those affected will be individuals who miss notifications regarding the redetermination process, subsequently missing deadlines to enroll in affordable marketplace plans or apply for coverage through an employer.
Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), responsible for caring for approximately one in six Medicaid beneficiaries, are expected to play a pivotal role in identifying individuals at risk of losing their coverage. These centers will assist in maintaining their enrollment, or alternatively, support them in finding alternative insurance options.
As a federally-qualified health center, CareSouth Carolina was one of the community health centers showcased in the report. CareSouth Carolina CEO Ann Lewis expressed the concern the organization has about ensuring people get the coverage they need.
“It can be a heavy lift for each application because there’s so much uncertainty about the personal information the state has and may request,” says Ann Lewis, CareSouth Carolina’s CEO. “One of her biggest fears is that the addresses in the state’s database are outdated. “This is a population of patients that moves around quite a bit,” she says. “Ultimately, people are going to fall through the cracks.”
CareSouth Carolina’s Community Outreach Team is working hard to ensure that community members are properly re-enrolled in Medicaid. One of these ways is through the newly-introduced Healthy Kids Project initiative. CareSouth Carolina was awarded a grant from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to help enroll and renew Medicaid coverage for kids, parents, pregnant individuals, and non-English speaking individuals.
If you need assistance in changing your address or signing up for Medicaid, CareSouth Carolina has Family Support Services Benefit Counselors who are available to assist.
For more information or help with Medicaid re-enrollment, please call 1-866-498-0399 and a CareSouth Carolina representative will be happy to help.
Through the Healthy Kids Project, CareSouth Carolina has hosted community events, marketed in targeted areas, and looked to eliminate transportation barriers to patients who may not be able to get help otherwise. You don’t need to be a CareSouth Carolina patient to receive these services, either.
Ashley Ford, Director of the Healthy Kids Project, said that CareSouth Carolina understands that the Medicaid enrollment and re-enrollment process can be confusing. That’s why the organization will be with you and take care of all aspects from start to finish.
“If in doubt, just give us a call,” Ford said. “Don’t scramble your brain to try and figure it out. We’ll be able to walk with you through the entire process. Let us do the lay-work for you. Going to the local Medicaid office can be stressful, but we can do all of that for you, if you’ll let us assist you. It doesn’t cost you a thing.”
CareSouth Carolina is a private, non-profit community health center delivering patient-centered health and life services in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. CareSouth Carolina operates centers in Bennettsville, Bishopville, Cheraw, Chesterfield, Dillon, Hartsville, Lake View, Latta, McColl and Society Hill. Services provided by CareSouth Carolina include family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, women services, OB/GYN, HIV/AIDS primary care, dental, chiropractic services, pharmacy, geriatrics, social services, clinical counseling, laboratory, 4D ultrasound, X-Ray, migrant services and veterans choice provider.