The impending end of the COVID-19 public health emergency and subsequent Medicaid disenrollment process threatens to exacerbate existing health disparities and access to care issues faced by Native American communities, according to a recent analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
Native Americans, who already face significant barriers to healthcare due to chronic underfunding of the Indian Health Service (IHS) and underrepresentation in Medicaid, could see their tenuous access to care further eroded as states begin unwinding pandemic-era Medicaid expansions.
Jennifer Sullivan, Director of Health and Housing Integration at CBPP, warns that the Medicaid unwinding process may disproportionately impact Native communities, as many rely on Medicaid to supplement the chronically underfunded IHS. IHS, the federal agency responsible for providing health services to federally recognized tribes, has been consistently underfunded at around 50% of need.
Approximately 1 in 3 Native Americans are enrolled in Medicaid, compared to 1 in 5 of the general population. However, Native Americans face unique barriers to maintaining Medicaid coverage, including limited internet access, housing instability, and difficulty providing documentation. Experts fear that these factors, combined with states’ rushed and uncoordinated unwinding processes, could lead to widespread coverage losses among Native communities.
Advocates are urging states and the federal government to take proactive measures to ensure that Native Americans do not fall through the cracks during the Medicaid unwinding process. Recommendations include targeted outreach, data sharing between states and IHS, and extending renewal timelines to account for the unique challenges faced by Native communities.
See “Medicaid Unwinding Threatens Native Communities’ Already Tenuous Access to Care” (May 20, 2024)
