15,000 Alaskans are caught in Medicaid backlog, but care continues, state says

Application for Medicaid for Alaska Residents. (Rachel Cassandra/Alaska Public Media)

Alaskans applying for Medicaid, nan government-run security programme for low-income people, are facing agelong hold times arsenic nan Division of Public Assistance struggles to support up pinch demand. Some 15,646 applications are pending, according to nan authorities wellness department.

But successful astir cases, eligible Alaskans are still capable to entree attraction arsenic agelong arsenic they’ve submitted an application, said section head Deb Etheridge. Coverage for Medicaid-eligible group takes effect nan first time of nan period an exertion is submitted. For example, a doctor’s sojourn connected May 1 would beryllium covered by an exertion submitted May 31.

“Even if we haven’t provided an eligibility determination, Medicaid will spell backwards and salary those aesculapian expenses backmost to nan day of application,” Etheridge said successful an interview. “And successful immoderate circumstances, we tin look retroactively an further 3 months if you had aesculapian expenses.”

That’s existent for astir regular aesculapian attraction for illustration expert visits, infirmary stays and nan like, Etheridge said. But to book aesculapian travel, capable prescriptions aliases different urgent services that require costs up front, group person to telephone nan section to person their exertion expedited. Etheridge said applications tin past beryllium approved successful a matter of hours. Applications tin besides beryllium processed same-day astatine galore state nationalist assistance offices, she said.

The logic for nan backlog is somewhat complex. Etheridge said nan rumor stems from national requirements during nan alleged “unwinding” process successful nan aftermath of nan pandemic. The state’s eligibility strategy was geared to measure households, not individuals, arsenic was required, Etheridge said. That presented roadblocks when, for example, looking astatine families pinch children — nan children should beryllium continuously eligible for Medicaid, but nan parents were required to renew. Etheridge said that led nan section to extremity closing applications that didn’t supply nan correct information, starring to nan backlog.

Many authorities nationalist assistance labor activity connected respective different assistance programs, and while nan authorities paused activity connected galore Medicaid applications, Etheridge said that freed them up to thief pinch a backlog successful nan Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, aliases SNAP.

But she said nan business is improving. Etheridge said her unit is moving overtime and connected weekends, and nan authorities is hiring 15 caller unit to attraction connected shoring up nan Medicaid program. She said they’re besides automating arsenic galore tedious and time-consuming tasks arsenic possible.

“To nan grade that we did leverage unit who utilized to beryllium moving connected Medicaid to thief america successful our SNAP backlog, we’re besides increasing that staffing shape and doing those efficiencies successful our processing truthful that we dream that we will, it’ll beryllium benignant of moreover arsenic we move forward,” she said.

Additionally, she said group who are eligible for SNAP are automatically eligible for Medicaid. And galore Medicaid applicants tin person their applications processed astatine nan national healthcare marketplace connected Healthcare.gov.

Etheridge said she besides expects a recently-passed bill loosening eligibility requirements to velocity up processing, but she said that’ll person to hold until aft machine strategy upgrades are complete successful July 2025.