SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Medicaid recipients should be on the lookout for a letter in the mail, reminding them to renew their healthcare benefits.

According to a press release from the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, continuous re-enrollment for Medicaid ended March 31, meaning those receiving benefits will have to complete the renewal process each year to ensure they still qualify.

All Medicaid recipients, including children, must be evaluated for eligibility by the anniversary of when their Medicaid coverage first began to avoid disruption in their coverage. For some Missouri residents, this could be as soon as June 2023.

Participants should expect a letter in the mail when it is time to submit required information and/or documentation for renewal consideration. If a participant’s address isn’t up to date, they may miss important deadlines.

Those who have moved or whose contact information has changed can update that info:

Continuous enrollment in Medicaid began in January 2020 when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This meant that qualified recipients through Missouri’s Medicaid program, called MO Healthnet, kept their coverage without having to renew.

According to the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment, over 16 percent of Greene County residents receive health coverage through Medicaid.