Starting Saturday, states across the country will be able to drop large numbers of people off Medicaid who were allowed to stay in the program during the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes some 1.5 million Minnesotans in low-income health programs, many of whom will soon be in danger of losing needed coverage.

Those at risk who are still eligible can stay on the Medicaid rolls without seeing a gap in coverage, but only if they complete the renewal process by the state’s rolling deadlines.

Worried about the potential staggering impact of hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans losing their health coverage, officials are working now to re-up those affected. But it’s a daunting task, one the state system could make more difficult.