More than 600,000 Arizonans are At Risk of Losing Medicaid Coverage: What You Need to Know

Millions of Americans could lose their eligibility for Medicaid coverage – including an estimated 600,000 Arizonans – beginning April 1.

At the start of the pandemic, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which required Medicaid programs to keep people continuously enrolled and pause their regular yearly redeterminations for eligibility.

After three years, this federal rule is expiring, and Medicaid renewals are returning to normal. That means eligibility will be determined based on income, family size, and other factors once again.

If you no longer qualify for Medicaid – you still have health insurance options! This can be an overwhelming time, but getting new healthcare coverage can restore peace of mind, knowing that you and your family will have access to care and treatment when you need it.

Read on to learn what to expect, how to prepare, and where to go if you lose coverage and need new health insurance.

Background information

• Medicaid is a government health insurance program for people with low incomes.
• Before the pandemic, Medicaid enrollees were required to update their eligibility information once per year to stay enrolled.
• But during the pandemic, the federal government required that state Medicaid programs keep people enrolled even if they would normally have lost eligibility for any reason, like being over-income.
• Then in December 2022, Congress changed Medicaid enrollment rules. Now states can disenroll people who are no longer eligible beginning on April 1 regardless of the status of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. In other words – things are returning to normal.

Timeline in Arizona

• Each state operates its own Medicaid program. Arizona’s Medicaid program is called the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). These are the important dates and timelines in Arizona that you need to know:
• April 1, 2023: AHCCCS will begin disenrolling members who are determined to be no longer eligible.
• Although the process starts in April, it won’t happen all at once. AHCCCS will redetermine all members’ eligibility for Medicaid over a 12-month period.
• AHCCCS usually redetermines your eligibility on the month you first enrolled. But please note that AHCCCS is grouping redeterminations and communication to members in the same households, when possible, to minimize confusion.

How you can prepare

• Update your contact information here: Health-e-Arizona (healthearizonaplus.gov).
• In that same portal, you can sign up for electronic notifications (text or email) from AHCCCS.
• Regularly check your mailbox for a letter from AHCCCS. ALL members will receive a letter stating whether they’ve been automatically renewed (no action required), disenrolled, or if they need to respond with more information.
• If you were asked to respond, do so as soon as possible. You can log in to your account to upload documents and check your renewal status.

Get new insurance if you are no longer eligible for Medicaid

• If you receive notice from the AHCCCS that you lost Medicaid eligibility, you can still get health insurance coverage.
• First, if you are employed, see if you can get health coverage through your employer.
• If not, you can apply for an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan.
• ACA plans offer financial assistance to help pay for your coverage and care if you qualify. That means your monthly payment can be lowered, but the exact amount depends on your income and family size.

If you still have questions, head to AHCCCS’s Medicaid renewal information page: Preparing for the End of COVID-19: Return to Regular Renewals (azahcccs.gov).