Medicaid Changes: What New Yorkers Need to Know

Changes are coming to the Medicaid program, and millions of people are at risk of losing their health insurance, reports New York Daily News.

This year, each state will be reviewing Medicaid eligibility for everyone enrolled in it. This is about 84 million people across the country. Of these, nearly 8 million are New Yorkers.

Individuals may become ineligible for Medicaid if they earn more than the program's limits, receive health insurance through an employer, or move to another state.

In the past, states regularly reviewed eligibility and weeded out those who did not qualify. But in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, this practice was suspended. States are now testing Medicaid eligibility for the first time in three years.

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Here's what you need to know if you have health insurance under the Medicaid program:

1. The state will send you a renewal form to your home. You will also receive a reminder to complete the document by phone, text message or email. To ensure everything goes smoothly, make sure Medicaid has your up-to-date contact information. The first renewal forms will be sent out to New York City in March and the rest of the state in April.
2. Complete the renewal form with your most recent personal information, including home address, phone number, email, income, and family size.
3. You will have at least 30 days to complete the form.
4. If you do not complete the form, the state may remove you from Medicaid. Individuals disenrolled from Medicaid in New York may request a retrial or hearing.
5. If you lose your Medicaid coverage, you can get new coverage through Marketplace, you can find policies at low prices there. For those who have lost their Medicaid eligibility, there is a special enrollment period starting March 31st.

Important nuances

Even if adults lost their Medicaid entitlement, children could still have it. The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) may also be available to children. This program is for children from families who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private health insurance.

Between 80% and 90% of children whose parents have lost their Medicaid eligibility are usually eligible for one of these two programs, experts say.

To stay up to date, sign up to receive text notifications from NY State of Health. To subscribe, send an SMS with the word START to (866) 988-0327.

New Yorkers with Medicaid questions can call the New York State Customer Service Center at (855) 355-5777 or visit website NY State Of Health.