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COVID-era Medicaid plans are ending. Do these things to keep your health coverage.

Tens of thousands of Utahns have lost health insurance over the last few months, mostly for not responding to mailed notices.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A group faces the House chambers at the Utah Capitol on Monday, Jan, 28, 2019, on the first day of the Legislative session to rally in support of protecting Proposition 3, the Medicaid Expansion law recently passed by voters. Tens of thousands of Utahns are losing Medicaid coverage as a federal COVID-era policy unwinds.

  | June 24, 2023, 12:00 p.m.
| Updated: 2:13 p.m.

A federal policy put in place during the pandemic that barred states from ending Medicaid is in the process of ending, and tens of thousands of Utahns are losing health insurance each month.

Utah began cutting people from its Medicaid rolls in April, and will continue to review cases over the next several months. In the Beehive State, the maximum qualifying income for Medicaid ranges from $19,392 a year for an individual to $67,278 annually for a family of eight.

According to preliminary date from the state, the majority of people losing health coverage are being kicked off for procedural reasons — because the state wasn’t able to contact them.

Here are a few tips to make sure you don’t lose your health insurance.

Did you get a notice in the mail?

Yes.

The Utah Department of Workforce Services is asking that members “respond timely” to reviews. If a mailed notice asks a member to complete their review, they should do so as soon as possible — people are losing Medicaid coverage for not responding.

No.

Check to see whether your review date has passed, as Utah will review Medicaid eligibility over the next several 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 check it through their health plan by logging in to myCase, calling DWS at 1-866-435-7414, or a health program representative at 1-866-608-9422.

Some members’ notices were sent to the wrong address. If members have a past review date and their contact information is current, or have a question about the mailing error, they should contact a health program representative.

Those still waiting for their review date should keep an eye on their mailbox.

The deadline has passed and your coverage lapsed

Those who completed the review process and are no longer eligible for Medicaid should have had their information transferred to the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, where they can purchase a new health plan.

If members didn’t complete the review process and believe they are still eligible for Medicaid, they should reach out to the state through one of the above-listed resources to provide the information needed to re-enroll. Medicaid is retroactive up to 90 days, so any bills incurred after losing insurance may still be covered.

Additional resources

Those who need assistance figuring out what to do next can contact the Utah Health Policy Project’s Take Care Utah program, which offers help navigating and applying for insurance.