Yes, states are re-evaluating Medicaid and CHIP eligibility starting in April.

Since March 2020, states have been required to provide continuous Medicaid coverage for members due to a pandemic response law called the Coronavirus First Response Families Act. The law encouraged states to suspend all exemptions from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), even when people were ineligible. These two programs provide health coverage for low-income adults and children.

But the continuous coverage mandate ends in March 2023. CHECK reader Thomas wrote to us to ask about what people should do now to keep their coverage.

Are states starting to re-evaluate people’s eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP in April?

Yes, states are re-evaluating people’s eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP and may begin to disqualify those who do not qualify, as well as some people who did not complete the renewal form, in April.

Beginning in April, states can once again exclude individuals ineligible for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) due to rules set in the 2022 Congressional Budget Bill.

The law requires states to reassess who qualifies for coverage.

As a result, states will restart the renewal process for all Medicaid and CHIP members. For some people, this will happen automatically, while others will need to fill out an renewal form, depending on how much information the state already has.

More from CHECK: No, Medicaid coverage does not end in July.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is requiring states to remove the continuing enrollment provision and begin the renewal process for all members within the next year.

CMS requires states to first try to use the information they have to check if members are still eligible for Medicaid or CHIP coverage. If your state has what it takes to determine if you qualify for the program, you don’t have to do anything. Your eligibility will be renewed and you will remain on Medicaid.

If your state needs more information from you to determine your eligibility, they will first try to mail you a renewal message, according to the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. The CMS also requires states to try to contact people by other means, such as email or text message, if their mail is bounced back. Therefore, you need to make sure in advance that your state has up-to-date contact information and address.

According to CMS, you will have at least 30 days to submit documents if they are needed for your renewal and you are registered based on your income. Other members who need to apply will have a “reasonable time” to do so.

But even with a month to file, you still need to fill out an extension form and send it back to your state as soon as possible if you get one, says the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services.

“If you ignore your Medicaid renewal package, you will be excluded from participation unless they can automatically renew you with the information they have on file,” said Louise Norris, health policy analyst at Healthinsurance.org, sister station VERIFY WCNC.

If your state determines that you do not qualify, you will receive at least 10 days’ notice before your Medicaid coverage is terminated or reduced. This gives you the opportunity to appeal your eligibility and decision before your state changes your coverage.

Checking your renewal status varies by state, as each state handles its own Medicaid and CHIP programs differently. For example, in some states, such as California and North Carolina, you can apply for an extension through an online portal and check the status of your renewal there.

The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services has links to each state’s registration websites and phone numbers, as well as profiles detailing each state’s Medicaid and CHIP programs.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Kaiser Family Foundation predict that millions will lose Medicaid or CHIP coverage within a year of the end of the continuous enrollment provision. Many of these people will become ineligible due to changes in income. Other people who are still eligible are at risk of losing coverage due to administrative issues, renewal difficulties, and short-term changes in circumstances that cause a person to oscillate between eligibility and non-eligibility.

If you are disenrolled but think you are still eligible for Medicaid, you can reapply immediately.

If you are no longer eligible for Medicaid, you can purchase a health plan through the health insurance marketplace for less than $10 per month, according to the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. You will enter a special enrollment period to change health plans if you leave Medicaid.

Finally, some states offer an additional option through the Basic Health Program, according to the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. Basic Health is for people whose income often fluctuates with Medicaid and CHIP eligibility, as well as people with low incomes who are not usually eligible for Medicaid or CHIP.

WCNC provided coverage for this story.