Millions of Americans are at risk of losing their health coverage by 2024 as the government is beginning to review the eligibility of its recipients for the first time in three years, AP news agency reported on Monday. 

The government-sponsored program currently covers about 84 million people, a number which grew by 20 million since January 2020.

But with the start of membership reviews, as many as 14 million people are now facing the risk of losing access to their coverage. 

The reasons may be diverse but are mainly owed to the fact that the government regularly conducted check-ups prior to the start of the pandemic. This was to ensure the prevention of individuals profiting from the program. 

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When the pandemic broke out, states were prohibited from booting out recipients from the program. But check-ups are now scheduled to resume as part of the standard bureaucratic practice.

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In certain States, ineligible recipients can be removed as early as April, whilst others are planning to begin by May, June, or July. 

All recipients' eligibility will be verified over periods of nine months to a year. 

They will be notified via a renewal form which will be sent by mail and they will have 30 days to renew the form. If recipients fail to fill out the form by the specified deadline, they will be removed from the program. 

Those who face the risk of getting booted out may turn to other programs such as the Affordable Care Act which includes options that cost as low as $10 per month. However, it may not include the same kinds of benefits that are made accessible via Medicaid. 

As for children, they may still qualify for the program or alternatively through the CHIP program, which covers children whose families earn enough to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private health insurance. 

Estimates from the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Center for Children and Families revealed that around 80% and 90% percent of children will still be eligible for those programs.

"When a parent receives a message that they aren’t eligible anymore, they often assume their child is no longer eligible either," said Joan Alker, the center’s executive director. "It’s more common to find that the parent is no longer eligible for Medicaid, but the child still is."

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