A new deadline is coming up for people who receive Medicaid benefits in the D.C. area.
Starting April 1st, individuals will have 14 months to renew their Medicaid eligibility or risk losing health care benefits. During the pandemic that requirement was suspended, and eligibility was automatically renewed.
“If you’ve been on the Medicaid program or you joined the Medicaid program over the past three years, you’ve not had to renew your eligibility, and that’s what’s about to change effective April 1st,” Melisa Byrd, Medicaid director of the D.C. Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) said.
Byrd said many D.C. residents have never had to renew their benefits because they enrolled during the pandemic.
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In February 2020, D.C. had 254,000 residents receiving Medicaid benefits, by December 2022 that number went up to 305,000. That’s about 50,000 D.C. residents who may not know they need to renew each year.
“We have parents, adults, children and individuals over 65,” Byrd said.
People currently receiving benefits will be notified by DHCF this year and are recommended to update their contact information.
“In addition to mail, that’s just the federal requirement, we will be reaching out through text messaging, robocalls, you’ll start to see bus ads and other advertisements, to really just get the word out,” Byrd said. “Most folks will get 60 days’ notice, and some Medicaid beneficiaries get up to 90 days’ notice. So, you get that 60 to 90 days, and we encourage you to respond as soon as possible.”
Virginia began phasing in Medicaid renewal requirements in March. Maryland will begin renewals in April.
