Charlottesville pediatrician, nurse worry people may lose Medicaid coverage

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Medicaid coverage in the Commonwealth is changing, and some are at risk of losing coverage if they don’t follow a few important steps.

“The most important thing for families to do is to update their information,” Doctor Paige Perriello said Thursday, March 9.

Dana Farrarr, the head nurse for Charlottesville schools, says the auto-renewal system that was in place for the last few years is ending. As a result, families might not know they need to enter information manually.

“It’s important to know that the people who are eligible for Medicaid is not changing. What is changing is how you maintain your coverage,” Dr. Perriello said.

You’ll need to visit CoverVa.org by April 1. There, you can enter patient information.

“Not everything expires on April 1. That’s just when the re-enrollment begins,” Farrarr said.

This is key in preventing ripple effects, like learning loss and keeping parents from work.

“Other illnesses could potentially lead to hospitalizations, which means less instructional time and less time in the classroom for students, and none of us want that, especially in the school division,” Farrarr said.

“Healthcare coverage, of course, is important to receive. All the things that kids need including wellness checkups, preventative care, vaccinations, and all the other things that they need,” Dr. Perriello said.

If you need to start this process, call 855-242-8282, or call the number on the back of your insurance card.

RELATED: Charlottesville pediatrician urging families to update info ahead of Medicaid changes

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