How Utahns can keep their Medicaid health insurance
Tens of thousands of Utah residents have lost their health insurance in recent months, largely for not responding to notices sent in the mail.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A group stands outside the chambers of the House of Representatives in the Utah Capitol on Monday, January 28, 2019, the first day of the Legislative Session, to lobby for the protection of Proposition 3, the most recent Medicaid extension bill , adopted by voters. Tens of thousands of Utah residents are losing their Medicaid coverage as a COVID-era state policy is unwound.
A federal policy introduced during the pandemic that prohibited states from ending Medicaid is now expiring, and tens of thousands of Utahns are losing their health insurance every month.
Utah began removing people from its Medicaid lists in April and will continue reviewing cases over the next few months. In the Beehive State, the maximum eligible income for Medicaid ranges from $19,392 per year for an individual to $67,278 per year for a family of eight.
According to preliminary data from the state, most people who lose their health insurance coverage are being fired for procedural reasons – because the state has been unable to contact them.
Here are a few tips to ensure you don’t lose your health insurance.
Did you receive a notification in the mail?
Yes.
The Utah Department of Workforce Services encourages members to respond to reviews in a “timely” manner. If a member receives a message in the mail asking them to complete their evaluation, they should do so as soon as possible—people lose Medicaid protection for not responding.
NO.
Check if your review date has passed, as Utah will be reviewing Medicaid eligibility over the next few months. Assigned review dates are listed on members’ profiles at jobs.utah.gov/mycase.
Make sure your contact information is up to date. Members can verify this through their health plan by logging into myCase, calling DWS at 1-866-435-7414, or contacting a health program representative at 1-866-608-9422.
Some members’ messages were sent to the wrong address. If members have a review date in the past and their contact information is current, or have a question about the shipping error, they should contact a healthcare program representative.
Anyone who is still waiting for the assessment date should keep an eye on their mailbox.
The deadline has expired and your insurance cover has expired
Those who have completed the verification process and are no longer eligible for Medicaid should have their information transferred to the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace where they can purchase a new health insurance plan.
If members have not completed the verification process and believe they are still eligible for Medicaid, they should contact the state through one of the resources listed above to provide the information needed to re-enroll. Medicaid is retroactive for up to 90 days, so any bills incurred after losing coverage may still be covered.
Additional Resources
Those who need help deciding what to do next can turn to the Utah Health Policy Project’s Take Care Utah program, which offers help with navigating and applying for insurance.
