Thousands will be removed from RI's Medicaid rolls. Here's how to ensure you stay covered.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to be removed from Rhode Island's Medicaid rolls in the coming year, due to a change in federal policy.
Historically, states had to go through an annual review process to make sure that everyone who was receiving Medicaid was still eligible to do so. But in 2020, in response to the pandemic, the federal government ordered states to stop conducting that process.
Now, states are being told that they have to start the renewal process again — by April 1st. Officials have estimated that the number of Medicaid recipients in Rhode Island could shrink from 360,000 to 338,000.
While some people will get kicked off the Medicaid rolls because they no longer qualify, it's also likely that others will be removed because they fail to submit the information required as part of the renewal process.
At a press briefing on Thursday, officials weren't able to estimate how many people in Rhode Island are currently receiving Medicaid coverage despite no longer meeting the eligibility guidelines.
More on Medicaid:Auditors find hundreds of ineligible RI state workers on Medicaid rolls
What Medicaid recipients should do now
Officials emphasized one main point during Thursday's press briefing: If you're covered by Medicaid, now is the time to make sure that your contact information, including your mailing address, is up to date.
Otherwise, you may not receive Medicaid renewal notices — and could lose your coverage.
You can update your information online at healthyrhode.ri.gov, or by downloading the HealthyRhode mobile app. Alternatively, you can call HealthSource RI at 1-855-840-4774. If you have Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, Tufts Health Plan (RITogether), or UnitedHealthcare Community Plan (UHCCP), you can call the number on your insurance card.
More information is available at https://staycovered.ri.gov/medicaid-renewals.
How the renewal process works
In some cases, the state already has the income information that it needs to ensure that individuals are still eligible for Medicaid. Those individuals will receive a notice asking them to review that information, and make sure that it's still correct.
As long as everything is correct, no further action is required. You only need to notify the state if something has changed.
In other cases, the state may need more information in order to figure out if you're still eligible. To keep your coverage, you'll need to either upload that information online, mail it to the Department of Human Services, or hand-deliver it to the DHS office at 1 Reservoir Ave in Providence.
Renewal notices will be sent out over the course of the next 12 months. They will not go out to households with children until December.
What do you do if you no longer qualify for Medicaid?
People who are being removed from the Medicaid rolls will be eligible to buy health insurance through HealthSource RI, which was created through the Affordable Care Act.
Director Lindsay Lang said that the goal is to offer "a warm handoff." Everyone who loses Medicaid coverage will be sent a notice that includes information about other insurance options that they might qualify for through HealthSource RI.
Additionally, people who earn less than 200% of the federal poverty level will automatically be enrolled in a HealthSource RI plan, and will not have to pay the first two months of premiums, Lang said. (They can cancel if they prefer to shop around for other coverage.)
It's likely that some people who went on Medicaid during the pandemic are now eligible for health insurance through their employers, or have reached the age to qualify for Medicare, Lang said.
The notices that get sent out to people who are losing Medicaid coverage will also contain information about how to appeal that decision, if you believe there's been a mistake.
Could some people slip through the cracks?
There's a risk that some Rhode Islanders who qualify for free or low-cost healthcare through Medicaid will lose that coverage if they don't receive or respond to the renewal notices that the state sends out.
That's especially true of anyone who's moved since the pandemic began, or lacks stable housing to begin with.
Certain groups have been deemed "priority populations," including mothers and children, the elderly, the homeless, people with disabilities, people who were formerly incarcerated, and people with substance use disorders.
Grants are available for groups who work with those populations to conduct outreach, said Kristin Sousa, the director of Rhode Island's Medicaid program. She said that "community partners," like United Way and local Health Equity Zones, will play a critical role in reaching out to people who the state might miss.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Medicaid will be renewing coverage - what to do to stay covered
