In its most recent report, the Health Care Authority (HCA) shared that approximately 52,000 Washingtonians were disenrolled from the Apple Health program in August due to ineligibility and 22,000 Washingtonians were disenrolled from the program for not responding to redetermination requests. This brings Apple Health’s total enrollment down to around 2.1 million from a high of 2.3 million. The current enrollment remains higher than the total enrollment of 1.7 million in February and March 2020 before the pause on redeterminations. Current enrollment data is available on the HCA Apple Health client eligibility dashboard.
If an Apple Health client’s coverage is terminated due to failure to renew coverage, there is a 90-day reconsideration period that allows an individual to process a retroactive renewal. Washingtonians can also gain health insurance through employer-sponsored insurance, Washington Healthplanfinder or the Medicare program if they are deemed eligible.
While difficult to predict, the highest volume of terminations was expected during the first three months of the Medicaid recertification period. The number of individuals enrolled in the program is expected to continue to decrease through April 2024, however at a lower rate.
For resources on the Apple Health renewal process, please visit WSHA’s Medicaid Redetermination in Washington state webpage. (Mary Storace)
