Illinois Senate Republicans: Medicaid Members Must Update Home Address to Avoid Risk of Coverage

CHICAGO, Illinois, March 4 -- The Illinois Senate Republicans issued the following news:

Medicaid members are encouraged to update their contact information, specifically their home mailing address, with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Service (IDHFS) or they may risk losing their health insurance coverage.

IDHFS is encouraging all Illinoisans currently covered by Medicaid to verify their current address as most will soon be receiving critical renewal notices in the mail.

On March 31, the protections put in place to maintain continuous enrollment in Medicaid will lapse. Prior to the pandemic, Illinois residents were required to annually renew their health insurance coverage to prove they still qualified for the program; however, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government began to provide extra funding to states who did not disqualify any residents from Medicaid. Illinois Medicaid members were automatically re-enrolled during this period.

Now, this protection has come to an end. Currently, the first round of anticipated renewal notices will begin to arrive in mailboxes in May, to be due in June. The month participants receive their renewal notices in the mail will depend on when their coverage is expected to expire. Notices will be mailed over the course of a year.

Some Illinois residents may still automatically renew; however, most will have to fill out paperwork to maintain their coverage. It is critical that participants focus on verifying their current address with the HFS. Those who have moved addresses recently can update their information on the HFS website. Residents should keep in mind that it may take some time for contact information to update in the government's systems and should verify their information before May.

Furthermore, residents can check renewal dates online on the Application for Benefits Eligibility website. If Medicaid policy holders are unresponsive to IDHFS notifications and inquiries, they will be unenrolled and lose health insurance coverage.

* * *

Original text here: https://ilsenategop.org/2023/03/03/medicaid-members-must-update-home-address-to-avoid-risk-of-coverage/