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Ready to renew your Medicaid coverage? Explore our step-by-step guide to Medicaid renewal. Here's how
Ready to renew your Medicaid coverage? Explore our step-by-step guide to Medicaid renewal. Here's how

PROVIDERS, REMIND YOUR MEDICAID PATIENTS TO UPDATE THEIR ADDRESS

Date: 06/17/22

The federal government enacted the continuous coverage provision during the federal COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). As a result, Medicaid recipients were not required to update their contact information since March 2020 or earlier. 

The PHE is currently set to expire in October, when Medicaid recipients must renew their coverage for the first time since the pandemic started. HFS will send renewal paperwork to member addresses on file, which means Medicaid recipients who have moved in the past three years without updating their information may not receive it. Meridian Redetermination Outreach

Methods Medicaid recipients can use to update their addresses and personal information:

  • Call the HFS hotline for assistance at 1-877-805-5312; TTY users call 1-877-204-1012 between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. 
  • Visit the Report Medicaid Change of Address page to complete an address change web form

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is committed to protecting coverage for as many Medicaid recipients as possible in a manner that fulfills all legal requirements, meets federally mandated timeframes, and reduces inequities in health coverage.

HFS is joined in this campaign by other state agencies to try to reach as many people who use Medicaid as possible. The Department on Aging is working with the state’s 13 regional Area Agencies on Aging and hundreds of local service providers to share the address update messaging. The Department of Veterans Affairs is partnering with the American Legion and VFWs, as well as its Veteran Service Offices and Veterans Homes, to spread the word in their communities. 

The Illinois State Board of Education has distributed the messaging toolkit to school districts across the state because districts can use Medicaid data to determine eligibility for free and reduced cost meals. In addition, the Department of Public Health is collaborating with local health department communication teams and the COVID Ambassador Network. The Department of Human Services has shared the toolkit with its Division Directors to inform relevant populations that it is time to update their Medicaid address with the state. 

Advocacy organizations, nonprofits, local governments, and municipalities are encouraged to download the HFS messaging toolkit–available on the HFS website in multiple languages to spread the word to help people keep their health insurance through Medicaid.