Highmark Health Options and Network Connect are partnering to help Delawareans with Medicaid redeterminations.
More than 300,000 Delawareans who had Medicaid health coverage when the public health emergency ended last year must be “redetermined” or risk losing Medicaid coverage by May.
Highmark Health Options Director Pattie Wright says during the pandemic, people were allowed to keep their benefits without redeterminations.
“But there are still about 139,000 members that still need to get that application," Wright says. "The state started in April of last year and it is continuing through this year.”
Network Connect cofounder and executive director Cierra Hall-Hipkins says they are offering guidance at events like one held Monday in Wilmington with access to their Free Store.
“Our free store is really well publicized and attended, so before they can get granted shopping access, each person who comes in today will learn about the need to redetermination and be able to sit down with a messenger and go through the process whether it be calling or actually logging in online to make sure their information is up to date," she says.
Hall-Hipkins adds they will hold a similar event in Kent County next month, and in Sussex County in April, and are canvassing door-to-door in each county to make sure no one loses coverage.
“So we do have partnerships with Wilmington Senior Center, we are going into some of the high-rises in Kent and New Castle County to do information sessions," Hall-Hipkins says. "When those messengers are out in the community, they are engaging with people from all walks of life.”
For those who no longer qualify for Medicaid, Network Connect staff will help with the transition to a different health plan to avoid a coverage gap.
Nationally, millions, including a high percentage of children, have lost Medicaid coverage, many for procedural reasons like redetermination.
