What you need to do to renew your Medicaid coverage | Opinion

W. Gregory Cannella
·2 min read

Three years ago, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government declared a Public Health Emergency that provided critical support and health care for Tennessee residents and their families. During the PHE, nearly all existing and new Medicaid enrollees were able to enroll and stay covered regardless of changes in eligibility or status. That is about to change.

Recent legislation passed by Congress separated Medicaid renewals from the PHE. What does this mean exactly? Every state, including Tennessee, will resume determining an individual’s Medicaid eligibility this year. TennCare, the state of Tennessee’s managed Medicaid agency, estimates that thousands of current Medicaid enrollees will no longer be eligible as a result of Medicaid renewal, also known as Medicaid redetermination.

As Medicaid renewal resumes, now is the time to prepare.

Here is a checklist for all Medicaid beneficiaries to get ready for this process:

∎ Confirm or update your address at TennCareConnect.TN.gov or call TennCare Connect at 855-259-0701.

∎ Find your renewal date online or by calling 855-259-0701.

∎ Open all mail, emails or texts from TennCare and follow the instructions.

∎ Complete your renewal by the date listed in your letter or email, depending on your selected preference.

There are five ways to renew your coverage after you get your renewal packet:

∎ Use TennCare Connect to complete your renewal online. Go to TennCareConnect.TN.gov and log in to your TennCare Connect account. Then click “Renew my Benefits.” If you don’t have an account yet, you can set one up now.

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Gregory Cannella
Gregory Cannella

∎ Call TennCare Connect for free at 855-259-0701 to renew your coverage over the phone.

∎ Mail your completed and signed renewal packet to:

TennCare Connect

P.O. Box 305240

Nashville, TN 37230-5240

∎ Fax your completed and signed renewal packet to 855-315-0669. Be sure to keep the page that says your fax went through.

∎ Visit your local Department of Health and Human Services office to renew online at a kiosk or drop off your paper renewal packet.

For those who will lose Medicaid coverage, there is still good news. New subsidies make health plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace more affordable than ever. In addition, many helpful resources are available to guide people to the coverage and support they need.

The pandemic brought years of uncertainty that has caused us to appreciate the importance of good health. Now our focus is on raising awareness about available options so people have health care coverage as we approach the end of the Public Health Emergency.

W. Gregory Cannella, DO, is the medical director for Amerigroup Tennessee, which helps improve health care access and quality for Tennessee residents who participate in the state’s Medicaid programs.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Opinion: What you need to do to renew your Medicaid coverage