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County staff warn H.R.1 Medicaid changes could limit access and reduce retroactive coverage
Summary
Social Services Director Amy Miller told the Human Services Committee that changes under H.R.1 will require Medicaid applicants to use an "assister," likely reducing coverage uptake and shortening retroactive coverage to 30 days; she also raised concerns about long wait times for assisters.
Social Services Director Amy Miller told the Yates County Human Services Committee that changes tied to H.R.1 will separate Medicaid enrollment from public-assistance intake, forcing applicants to apply for Medicaid through a designated "assister" rather than at the county office. Miller warned this could reduce access to health coverage, saying, "There is no doubt that this will mean that people who need health insurance will likely not get it, because it will be harder to do." She also described operational strains, noting, "If they call now, sometimes they could be on hold for 2 hours to get through to their assister."
Miller raised additional concerns about a reduction in retroactive coverage, reporting that "The retroactive coverage will start to only be for 30 days," down from the current 90-day coverage that helps providers receive payment for earlier services. The committee accepted the report as information and discussed the implications for local service delivery; no formal county policy change was adopted at the meeting.
