Millions of people on Medicaid could lose their coverage in the coming weeks. That’s because starting tomorrow, several states will begin cutting off beneficiaries that no longer qualify for Medicaid, or some who aren’t able to complete the renewal process.

The federal government provided a safety net of sorts during the pandemic by making sure people were covered — even if their eligibility had changed. In exchange, states received more funding. As what’s called “unwinding” begins, public health experts are worried there will be a spike in people losing coverage who need it.

Here & Now‘s Deepa Fernandes speaks with Dr. James Schultz, chief medical officer of Neighborhood Healthcare, which operates clinics in Riverside and San Diego counties in California. California has the largest Medicaid program in the country, MediCal.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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