NAMD Executive Director Kate McEvoy talked about the Medicaid unwinding with Verywell Health

As Medicaid agencies across the country begin the work of redetermination of millions, NAMD Executive Director Kate McEvoy talked about the realities for Medicaid members.

Kate McEvoy, JD, the executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, told Verywell that more than 90 million people are currently Medicaid beneficiaries. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), that’s a nearly 28 percent increase in Medicaid enrollment compared to February 2020.

McEvoy said that an estimated 15 to 20 million of those people could lose their eligibility with the changes that are coming. KFF estimates that between 5 and 14 million people could lose their Medicaid coverage.

According to McEvoy, people on Medicaid usually only lose their eligibility if their income goes up or there is a change in their disability status. Most current Medicare recipients will still be eligible—especially older adults and disabled people who tend to have stable life circumstances and incomes.

State Medicaid programs serve between 25 percent and 30 percent of their populations but vary in their eligibility requirements. For example, McEvoy noted that some states have higher limits on income.

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