People whose enrollment in Medicaid in the past year was made possible by Affordable Care Act eligibility expansions are required by the health care reform law to renew their eligibility annually.

But many do not know this, according to focus groups performed on behalf of the Medicare and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC).

As a result, some of these recipients could find themselves without coverage when they seek care in the near future – a situation that could leave some with significant medical bills while leaving providers unpaid for care they have delivered.

Private safety-net hospitals would be especially vulnerable to such unpaid charges because they serve so many low-income and Medicaid patients.

Learn more about this issue and its implications in this CQ HealthBeat article presented by the Commonwealth Fund.