"My staff has confirmed reports that Medicaid portals are down in all 50 states following last night's federal funding freeze," the senator from Oregon said on the social media platform X on Initial reports suggested that the OMB freeze applied to everything except salaries for federal employees, checks to Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries and members of the military. Federally-funded community health clinics, which that serve more than 32 million patients, many of them low-income, were also caught in the portal freeze. In addition to Medicaid, those clinics Since the pandemic-era freeze on Medicaid disenrollment ended this spring, millions across the country -- including eligible recipients -- have lost their coverage for administrative reasons. Paperwork errors, system glitches, long wait times and outdated notices are kicking people off the rolls and vexing those caught up in the process. The unprecedented enrollment drop comes after federal protections ended this spring that had prohibited states from removing people from Medicaid during the three pandemic years. Since March 2020, enrollment in Medicaid and the related Children's Health Insurance Program had surged by more than 22 million to reach 94 million people. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Medicaid Public Health Emergency (PHE) continuous coverage requirement sought to promote access to care during a time when many Medicaid beneficiaries were especially vulnerable to the virus. In exchange for a temporary 6.2% increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) states could use to ensure access to health care supports and Children were among the millions of people who lost Medicaid coverage after the government required states to reevaluate every recipient's eligibility. Some have been able to get benefits back Some Medicaid recipients tell The Associated Press errors and confusion are leading to them being kicked off the federally and state-funded health coverage

program. States are undertaking an unprecedented review of the 84 million Medicaid enrollees nationwide. The federal government will require states to remove people whose incomes are too high for the program. Millions are expected to lose Millions of low-income and disabled Americans have seen their Medicaid benefits mistakenly halted as states re-evaluate their eligibility. Advocates say some have lost their benefits because of The Medicaid continuous enrollment provision stopped "churn" among Medicaid enrollees. States approaches to unwinding the continuous enrollment provision vary .