Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare to Resume Eligibility Reviews of Enrollees; Tools Available to Help Patients Renew Coverage

March 23, 2023

After a three-year pause during the COVID-19 public health emergency, Medical Assistance (MA) and MinnesotaCare will resume annual eligibility reviews of their enrollees (i.e., renewals). Renewals will begin as early as July for MA enrollees and October for MinnesotaCare enrollees. 

The State of Minnesota anticipates that the upcoming renewal season will be particularly difficult for enrollees for multiple reasons. Those who had coverage before the pause have likely experienced a change in address, employment, income, or other eligibility criteria in the past three years. Additionally, the 354,000 enrollees who gained coverage over the past three years will be unfamiliar with renewal processes.  

To empower providers as they seek to help their patients maintain coverage, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has created communication toolkits and talking points. Additionally, the Minnesota Council of Health Plans has written an informative blog post and a fact sheet about the resumption of eligibility reviews. DHS emphasizes that “the most important thing enrollees can do now to maintain their coverage is to make sure they have updated their contact information.” 

The MMA will continue to communicate with its members as Minnesota grows closer to the first rounds of renewals for MA and MinnesotaCare. For more information, contact Adrian Uphoff, health policy analyst.