16.2% of Md. Medicaid participants disenrolled amid renewals; check status, say health officials
MARYLAND – Local health officials are urging Medicaid recipients to check their enrollment status.
According to the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), 16.2% participants in the state were disenrolled in the first three months of Medicaid renewals. Those 66,000 folks lost their status because they did not submit or complete required paperwork, says MDH. In Salisbury alone, 207 participants in the 21801 zip code, and 310 in the 21804 zip code, were disenrolled.
“In the past couple of years, with COVID-19 there was the auto renewal process,” said Wicomico County Health Department health officer, Matthew McConaughey. “Now that we are out of that public health emergency, we’ve kind of gone back to the way it’s been prior, with the need for the manual enrollment.”
McConaughey says it’s also important that Medicaid participants keep their contact information updated. “Keeping that information up-to-date and accurate will allow us to reach out, let you know that your status is up for renewal, so that you can get that information on time,” he said. “And, you’re not going to have a lapse of insurance coverage.”
Medicaid participants will be notified prior to the end of their renewal period. In order to prepare, they should have the following information available:
- Birthdates
- Social Security Numbers (or document numbers for legal immigrants)
- Citizenship or immigration status
- Tax returns for previous years
- Employer and income info (pay stubs, W-2 forms)
- Policy numbers for any current health insurance and information about employer-sponsored coverage you or someone in your household is eligible for.
Participants can update their information online, by phone at (855) 642-8572, or in person at their local Department of Social Services or health department.
