BALTIMORE, Md. (DC News Now) — The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is urging residents who have Medicaid to check and see if they were disenrolled or update their information for renewal.

MDH reported 34,675 were disenrolled from Medicaid.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people with Medicaid did not need to provide renewal information to maintain coverage. Now, federal law requires states to begin verifying eligibility information over the course of the next year.

People that live in ALICE households or households that cannot afford basic needs are the people most impacted, according to Ken Oldham, president and CEO of the United Way of Frederick County.

“The tragic thing is that the automatic renewals were working,” Oldham said. “We had a lot of individuals that were getting coverage that never had it and now thousands of households don’t have the coverage they once had.”

People who had Medicaid who lost their coverage have 120 days to get their insurance back.
If someone is no longer eligible, they may be able to file an appeal.

“As we receive additional data about individuals who are disenrolled, we will refine our outreach strategies to ensure we are helping Marylanders who are eligible for Medicaid retain their coverage,” said Deputy Secretary of Health Care Financing and Medicaid Director Ryan Moran. 

In Maryland, 1.8 million people are enrolled in Medicaid.

Residents who are no longer eligible for Medicaid coverage should visit Maryland Health Connection for more information on the options available for low or no cost coverage.