Thousands of N.J. Medicaid recipients may lose their health care coverage

Anya Nawrocky, director of member experience and growth for Wellpoint New Jersey, one of five managed care organizations that serve people in the state’s Medicaid program, said many who signed up for coverage during the pandemic may not understand they are required to renew their benefits.

“They won’t realize it until there is a point of crisis in their health care journey and come to a hospital, they come to a doctor and they’re not well and they realize, ‘Oh my God, I don’t have insurance,’” she said.

Department of Human Services Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Langer Jacobs said the re-enrollment process has been a huge undertaking. Officials have made phone calls, sent postcards and emails and launched text message and social media campaigns to reach the community.

“We had billboards out there, we had upwards of 2,000 events out in the community, really trying to let people know that it was time to pay attention to Medicaid eligibility,” she said.

Nawrocky said it’s been a challenge to connect with the Spanish-speaking populations because of the language barrier.

“Materials have gone out, you hope they are seeing the materials they need to assist them,” she said. “People were very transient during the public health emergency; they moved addresses, they may not get their paperwork in a timely manner.”

Langer Jacobs said people who had not responded in a timely manner were targeted in a follow-up information campaign.

“To those members we were saying, ‘Hey, we’re concerned we haven’t heard from you,’” she said. “If you want to keep your NJ FamilyCare coverage, you really need to respond right away.”