If you or a loved one has Maryland Medicaid, one small habit can protect your coverage: check your mail. Maryland reviews every enrollee's eligibility once a year, and the notice that starts that process arrives by mail, or in your online account if you've gone paperless. Miss it, and you could lose coverage you still qualify for, coverage that may even be paying for care at home.
Why this matters for home care
Many of the families we serve rely on Maryland Medicaid home- and community-based waiver programs, such as Community First Choice and the Community Options Waiver, to help pay for care at home. If Medicaid coverage lapses because a renewal was missed, that funding can be interrupted, even when the person still meets every requirement. A few minutes of attention to the mail can prevent a stressful, avoidable gap in care.
How Maryland Medicaid renewal works
Maryland Medicaid coverage is renewed every 12 months. You may hear it called redetermination, recertification, or reapplying. When it's your turn, the state checks that you still meet the income requirements (and, for some programs, the asset requirements) for your coverage.
You'll receive a notice, by mail or in your online account, when it's time to renew, and you then have 60 days to respond. In some cases the state can renew you automatically using information it already has. If that happens, you'll still get a notice letting you know there's nothing more for you to do.
Watch the mail, and don't toss official envelopes
Renewal notices come from the Maryland Department of Health, Maryland Health Connection, or your local Department of Social Services. It's easy to mistake these for junk mail and set them aside. If you see an envelope from any of them, open it right away and note any deadline printed inside.
Keep your address and phone number current
The single most common reason people lose Medicaid is a renewal notice sent to an old address. A lot can change in a year. If you've moved, changed your phone number, or changed your email, update your information now, before your renewal comes due, so the notice actually reaches you.
Most enrollees update their information and renew through Maryland Health Connection, online at marylandhealthconnection.gov or by phone at 1-855-642-8572. If you are age 65 or older, blind or disabled, or enrolled in a Home and Community-Based Services waiver program, you renew through the Maryland Department of Human Services instead, online at marylandbenefits.gov or by phone at 1-800-332-6347. You can also update your details or renew in person at your local Department of Social Services.
Report changes within 10 days
Apart from your yearly renewal, report any change in your income or household within 10 days. That includes moving, a change in income, a change in who lives with you, or a change in disability status. Reporting promptly keeps your record accurate and helps prevent an unexpected loss of coverage.
Lean on your support team
If you receive Medicaid waiver services, you don't have to manage renewals on your own. We strongly encourage participants to work closely with their support planning agency representative and their residential service agency (RSA) representative. These are the people who help coordinate your care, and they can help you keep track of renewal dates, make sense of any notice you receive, and make sure the right paperwork is completed and submitted on time.
If you're no longer eligible
If a renewal finds that you no longer qualify for Medicaid, you still have options. Low-cost health plans are available through Maryland Health Connection, and you can enroll within 60 days of losing your coverage. And if you were using Medicaid to help pay for home care, talk with us, we can discuss other ways to keep care in place while you sort out your coverage.
A quick checklist
Check your mail and your online account regularly. Confirm your address, phone, and email are current. Open anything from Maryland Medicaid, Maryland Health Connection, or Social Services the day it arrives. Respond to a renewal notice within 60 days. Report income or household changes within 10 days. If you're a waiver participant, stay in close touch with your support planning agency and residential service agency representatives. And when in doubt, call rather than wait.
We're here to help
We're a home care agency, not a Medicaid office, so we can't make eligibility decisions for you. But we help Maryland families navigate these steps all the time, and we're glad to point you in the right direction. If you have questions about paying for home care or keeping coverage in place, call us at (410) 231-3076 or reach out for a free consultation.
This article is general information, not legal or benefits advice. For guidance on your specific situation, contact Maryland Health Connection at 1-855-642-8572, the Maryland Department of Human Services at 1-800-332-6347, or your local Department of Social Services.