This article was written by Brandy Mutehart, Income & Benefits Unit Director
During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals and households receiving Medicaid coverage could not be terminated from their Medicaid program, even if their eligibility changed. This means that for almost three years, many have kept Medicaid benefits even if their income and resources changed. Starting April 1, 2023, that protection is ending and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) can terminate the Medicaid coverage for anyone who is no longer eligible.
What will happen next?
Beginning March 1, 2023, DHHS will do a renewal for everyone who receives Medicaid. If you receive Medicaid, the renewal will take place at or around your annual renewal date. At the renewal, DHHS will look at income and resource information to determine if you qualify for any Medicaid program. Since this is done at the normal annual renewal date, DHHS will likely also do the renewal for any other DHHS benefits you receive.
What you can do to prepare?
If you currently have Medicaid coverage, you can use your online account to check for your renewal date. To prepare for your annual renewal, you can gather any financial paperwork that you have, this could be paystubs, bank statements, SSA benefit statements, tax forms, or any other documents showing your household income and resources. If you receive benefits based on a disability, you may be asked to provide documentation of that disability as well. DHHS may not need all of this information to complete your renewal, but it may be helpful to have the information handy. If you receive any DHHS benefits, always make sure your contact information is up to date. Most notices will be sent by mail but some communication may happen by phone or email so make sure you provide DHHS with a mailing address where you have access to the mail, phone number where you can be reached, and an email address if you have one that you can use. You can update this information by calling your local DHHS office or through your online account.
It is important that you read and timely respond to any notices you receive from DHHS. Failure to timely respond to a notice may result in termination from Medicaid or other benefits.
You can access your online DHHS account, or set up a new account HERE.
Appealing a DHHS decision
Any Notice of Action that you get from DHHS can be appealed by requesting a Fair Hearing within 90 days of the date of your notice. However, if you want to continue receiving benefits while your appeal is pending, you should appeal within ten days of the mailing date on your Notice of Action.
Legal Aid of Nebraska Can Help
If you receive a notice from DHHS terminating any of your benefits, or if you receive a notice that you do not understand, you can contact Legal Aid of Nebraska to apply for legal assistance:
Statewide AccessLine: 1-877- 250-2016 (Hours: Monday/Wednesday 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. & Tuesday/Thursday 1 – 4 p.m.)
Or you can apply for services online.
You should apply for Legal Aid’s services as soon as possible after receiving a notice from DHHS terminating your benefits.
