“The fact that nearly one million children in 38 states lost Medicaid and CHIP coverage is very alarming.”
Without going to look for the data, we know that the 0 to 21 population is leveling off and will be decreasing. Which would explain some of the reduction.
People are having less babies. The question is which people?
Are medicaid/CHIP moms having less babies? Or is it privately insured? or is it the uninsured? Or who?
There are people in the industry who do not want to ask questions to which they do not already know the answer.
Most children are covered by corpooratist CMOs. Peachcare, Wellcare, CareSource, Amerigroup in Georgia. These CMOs get paid X amount per mom or kid covered. The CMOs make profit when their members do not run up big bills. Many CMO members never go to the doctor.
Of six kids in my family, two days after birth we left the hospital and never saw a doctor again, except I saw a doctor in 1952 there are many CMO members who rarely or never have a claim, even now. I’m sure it would never happen. But hypothetically, what if a CMO was getting paid for kids who never had claims because they didn’t exist? What if a shrinkage is due to someone in the CMO having a conscience, or afraid they will get caught? Just hypothetical, of course.