Resources: Prepare for end of COVID-19 declaration
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You can't unbake a cake, we all know that. When the "cake" is part of the bureaucracy, it's not always possible even to scrape off all the icing. But West Virginia will have to try, as May 11 approaches. That is the date on which the federal disaster declaration related to COVID-19 expires.
When former President Donald Trump declared the emergency in March 2020, the idea was to give states an easier path to provide free COVID-19 tests, vaccinations and treatments. And, it helped more people get health coverage via Medicaid. After more than three years, many of those people could lose their Medicaid coverage, as their emergency qualification expires.
Three years is a long time to get used to receiving a government benefit such as Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Families who haven't prepared are in for a jolt.
"We'll have a lot of work to do on the back end to make sure that work has been done properly and appropriately, that we do all the appropriate audits to make sure that we're fiscally responsible with the resources that were made available to us," State InterAgency Task Force Director Jim Hoyer said last week.
State officials will have to behave responsibly toward affected families, and the medical facilities that rely on payments from Medicaid, too. As the Biden administration works on the unwind, it estimates 15 million people will lose coverage as programs resume the qualifications originally intended.
"We encourage anyone who has the ability to do so and is involved or uses those services -- Medicaid, CHIP and SNAP -- to go to wvpath.wv.org and be aware of the changes and benefits that are occurring and how it impacts you and your family," Hoyer told WV Metronews.
Spread the word to those who might need a little help with the transition. It's going to be yet another pinch for families who are already struggling, but there are other resources available -- not just at the state level, but, as always, from organizations in the community who specialize in this kind of thing.
Don't wait until it is too late.