Healthcare.gov glitch hampers state Medicaid enrollment

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services wrote a memo last week to the 36 states (including Ohio) using the federally facilitated marketplace acknowledging the information on those potentially eligible for Medicaid wasn't being transferred automatically to the states and that another system was being developed to send it (Source: “Despite claims, healthcare.gov is not enrolling applicants in Medicaid,” Associated Press via Christian Science Monitor, Dec. 5, 2013).

The technical problem could affect tens of thousands of Medicaid applicants. Some users who fill out applications on the federal site may believe that they're already being enrolled in Medicaid or that state officials will contact them, even though the agencies aren't receiving the information they need, said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

CMS has devised an alternative way of sending files including the patient information to the states and said completed files may be ready to send as early as next week.

"CMS announced that we will be providing states with additional flexibility to use existing processes to enroll individuals in Medicaid and CHIP who applied through the federal marketplace. This process will ensure that coverage will begin on Jan. 1 for newly eligible enrollees," said spokeswoman Emma Sandoe.