An analysis conducted by public health policy experts at George Washington University reveals that over 250,000 individuals in Florida may lose their health insurance due to the reevaluation of Medicaid eligibility by state agencies. The study, published in the Health Affairs journal on Friday, estimates that by spring, approximately 169,000 adults and 84,500 children in Florida will be without insurance. This comes as a result of the ongoing review process that began a year ago. The Department of Children and Families and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration have until March to determine the number of individuals who still qualify for the low-income health care program. The researchers, Leighton Ku, MaryBeth, and Musumeci Sara Rosenbaum, arrived at this estimate by analyzing the rate at which people were removed from Medicaid and previous research on the uninsured population in Florida, particularly among Black and Latino communities. The analysis highlights the disproportionate impact on these communities. The focus on Florida stems from a lawsuit filed against AHCA and DCF, alleging inadequate communication regarding the eligibility review. A preliminary injunction seeking the reinstatement of Medicaid benefits for those affected will be heard in the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Florida next week. The experts emphasize that their concern for Florida is not arbitrary but rather tied to the specific circumstances of the lawsuit. They also note that this is not the first time they have raised concerns about the loss of healthcare coverage in Florida since the end of the federal COVID-19 emergency. In August, the executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families addressed this issue during a press conference.
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