Jeremy Gaskill on what Medicaid changes mean for Geisinger Health Plan

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Geisinger Health Plan (GHP) expects its Medicaid membership to shrink as federal changes reduce the pool of eligible Pennsylvanians, according to Jeremy Gaskill, the plan’s president. Medicaid accounts for just over half of GHP’s roughly 500,000 members, and Gaskill said a projected decline of a little over 10% in that population is directionally accurate, though not final. Gaskill joined GHP in February after more than two decades at Humana. The plan is part of Geisinger, a nonprofit, 10-hospital system based in Danville, Pennsylvania.

The changes stem from H.R. 1, the federal law sometimes referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill, which brings work requirements — also called community engagement requirements — and more frequent eligibility determinations to Medicaid. Gaskill said GHP is only beginning to work through the effects with the state, which recently held a kickoff with all of its managed care organizations to discuss 2027 and how the program will be funded. “There’s just going to be some of it that we’re going to learn on the fly as H.R. 1 kicks in, and we actually see what are the real impacts,” Gaskill said.

Beyond the size of the impact, he said, the bigger question is timing: when the coverage losses will actually occur over the coming year and the years after. GHP expects a clearer line of sight as the end of the year approaches.

Gaskill said GHP is working with community partners to help ensure that people who should remain covered can meet the new requirements. He described that as another advantage of being part of an integrated system with deep roots in its communities and strong ties to local organizations. Both the health plan and Geisinger’s clinical side have a role to play in helping members make the connections they need to stay eligible, he said, although exactly what GHP’s role will look like is still being worked out.