Presumptive Eligibility benefits expired yesterday

The National Public Health Emergency, which gave nearly everyone access to free or affordable medical care through Presumptive Eligibility Medicaid, officially expired yesterday, putting an end to PE benefits.

Back in February, President Joe Biden ended the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 effective May 11, specifically the National Emergency and Public Health Emergency declarations.

According to Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. CEO Esther Muña, Presumptive Medicaid is tied to the Public Health Emergency. This means once the PHE ends, so does Presumptive Eligibility benefits.

However, CHCC had hoped that continuous coverage under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 202 would provide an extension for Presumptive Eligibility benefits past the end of the emergency declaration.

But recently, upon further clarification, it was determined that Presumptive Eligibility coverage will expire on the same day following the National Public Health Emergency end date of May 11, 2023, with no plans to extend this benefit.

Because of this, the CNMI Medicaid highly encourages all affected members to complete a full Medicaid application as soon as possible to avoid disruption in health care services.

“The Commonwealth Medicaid Agency is committed to ensuring all affected members are given an opportunity to be determined for continued benefits. CMA apologizes for any confusion and is working diligently to assure its members’ healthcare services are not disrupted abruptly. We kindly ask for your patience and understanding as we explore other options for members who may no longer be eligible for regular Medicaid benefits with the limited resources available,” said the Commonwealth Medicaid Agency in a previous news release.

Individuals and families are eligible for Medicaid if their attested gross income does not exceed 180% of the Supplemental Security Income federal benefit, which is about $28,800 annually for a family of four.

For those concerned about Medicaid affecting eligibility for permanent resident status, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had clarified that, under the new public charge rule, a public charge is defined as an alien who has received one or more public benefits, including Medicaid, as defined in the rule, for more than 12 months within any 36-month period.

An alien who is likely at any time to become a public charge is generally inadmissible to the United States and ineligible to become a lawful permanent resident.

Receiving public benefits such as Medicaid does not automatically make an alien ineligible to become a lawful permanent resident, but it may affect eligibility for permanent residency status.