Tips for Ohioans at risk of losing coverage as COVID emergency ends

More than 3 million low-income and/or disabled Ohioans rely on government-paid health insurance in the form of Medicaid.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the federal government prevented anyone from being removed from the program, but that could end soon.

In July, the federal government could end its COVID-19 emergency declaration.

An understaffed and underfunded county-based system would then have to comb through the entire Medicaid population in order to redetermine everyone's eligibility and remove ineligible people.

Advocates say it's a scenario susceptible to mistakes, especially given a 90-day timeline counties have to comply with.

A lot of details are still unclear as Ohio waits for further federal guidance. But if you've been on Medicaid at all during the pandemic, here's some steps you can take to make sure you don't get removed from the system by mistake:

Make sure you update your contact information

This is crucial in reducing the workload counties will face, and it will ensure any renewals can be done quickly.

Otherwise, it could take weeks for someone to get a hold of you and worst case, you may lose coverage without knowing.

You can update your information through your managed care organization or with the Ohio Benefits Self Service Portal at ssp.benefits.ohio.gov.

Determine if you are still eligible or still need Medicaid

You can check your eligibility at the Ohio Benefits portal, with your county's Job and Family Services Department or at the Ohio Department of Medicaid's website.

If your income has grown during the pandemic and you no longer qualify, make sure you take advantage of navigators - organizations who can help you attain other health coverage in the marketplace. You can search for navigators on localhelp.healthcare.gov.

Pay attention to your mail

In most cases, you might be renewed and re-determined eligible for Medicaid automatically without any intervention. But if not, it's important to make sure you look out for a renewal packet in the mail.

You'll have about a month to return that packet with the requested documents.

If you don't turn in the documents correctly, you'll get another 10 days to do so.

If you still don't get it right or miss deadlines, you may be notified for termination from Medicaid.

However, you have a right to appeal a decision discontinuing your benefits if you do so within 15 days of the notice of termination. Your Medicaid coverage will be reinstated until the appeals hearing.

Your county department of job and family services is your point of contact

They are the point of contact for any questions, since they are the ones determining your eligibility. But keep in mind that many are overworked and understaffed, so inquiries may take a while for a response.

Titus Wu is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.