Here's the short answer. Missing your Medicaid renewal deadline does not have to mean losing coverage permanently. Your state sends a notice asking you to confirm your household size, income, and other information. If you miss the deadline date, your Medicaid ends through "procedural termination" — ended for paperwork reasons, not because you no longer qualify. But federal law gives you a 90-day reconsideration period after your coverage ends. During that window, you can contact your state and ask to have your eligibility reviewed without filing a brand-new application. Even after that 90 days, you can reapply for Medicaid at any time of year. This page explains how renewals work, what to do if you miss the deadline, and how to prevent it from happening again.
Why States Check Your Medicaid Eligibility
Medicaid eligibility can change. Your income might go up, your household size might shift, or you might become eligible for another program. That's why states regularly "redetermine" or "renew" eligibility — they check whether you still qualify.
Most people are checked once a year. Your state sends you a notice (usually by mail) asking you to confirm your information or provide new details. You then have a set number of days to respond. If you don't respond by the deadline, your coverage ends.
Timing is changing for some adults. Starting with renewals scheduled on or after January 1, 2027, adults who qualify through the ACA expansion group will be checked every 6 months instead of every 12. (The ACA expansion group is adults under 65 who qualify based on income alone, not through pregnancy, disability, or another special category.) This means twice as many renewal notices for this group. Everyone else — children, pregnant women, people over 65, and people with disabilities — keeps the annual renewal schedule.
What a Renewal Notice Looks Like and What to Do
Your state's renewal notice will come in the mail or, in some states, online through a portal. It should include:
- A deadline date — usually 10 to 30 days from when you receive it.
- A list of what the state wants you to confirm or provide, such as income, household size, or changes in your situation.
- Instructions on how to respond — by mail, phone, online, or in person.
- A phone number to call if you have questions.
What to do: Open the notice right away. Don't wait. Read the deadline and the list of what you need to send back. Gather your documents (recent pay stubs, tax returns, or letters confirming changes), and respond by the deadline. You don't have to be perfect. If the state needs more, it will ask. The key is to respond before the deadline. Many people lose Medicaid not because they no longer qualify, but because the state couldn't reach them or they didn't send back the renewal form.
What Happens If You Miss the Deadline
If you don't respond by the deadline, your Medicaid coverage ends. This is called procedural termination — your coverage was ended because of paperwork, not because you no longer qualify for Medicaid. Your state will send you a letter saying your coverage has ended, usually with an effective date.
This can happen even if you still qualify. Many people who lose Medicaid this way do still qualify; they just didn't see the renewal notice or meet the deadline.
However, there is a grace period. Read on.
The 90-Day Reconsideration Period
Federal law recognizes that people sometimes miss renewal deadlines. That's why there is a 90-day reconsideration period after your Medicaid ends. During this window, you can contact your state and ask to have your eligibility reviewed without filing a completely new application.
How to use this window:
- Contact your state Medicaid agency as soon as you realize your coverage has ended. Don't wait.
- Tell them your coverage was ended and ask for reconsideration.
- Provide the information or documents the state asks for.
- If you still qualify, your coverage should be restored, often retroactively to when it ended.
The 90-day window is not automatic. You must contact your state and ask for reconsideration. If you wait longer than 90 days, you can still reapply, but you're starting with a new application rather than a reconsideration of what you already had.
After the 90-Day Window: Reapplication Anytime
After 90 days, you can still apply for Medicaid. Unlike the Marketplace, Medicaid takes applications year-round. You'll fill out a new application, and the state will evaluate your eligibility from scratch. If you qualify, you can enroll immediately (or retroactively if your household needed Medicaid before you applied). See Lost Medicaid? Your Options and Deadlines for the full picture of what to do after losing coverage.
How to Prevent Losing Medicaid at Renewal
Here's what you can do to stay ahead of renewal and avoid losing coverage:
- Keep your address and phone current. Update your state Medicaid agency as soon as you move or change your number. This is the single most important step. Renewal notices that can't reach you lead to coverage loss.
- Open every letter from Medicaid. Don't assume it's junk mail. Even if you think your coverage is safe, open it and read the deadline.
- Gather documents before the renewal period. Keep recent pay stubs, tax returns, and any letters confirming changes (job changes, birth of a child, marriage, etc.) in one place so you can respond quickly.
- Respond before the deadline. Don't wait until the last day. Mail takes time. Respond as soon as you receive the notice.
- Report changes right away. If your income changes, your household size changes, or you get a new job, report it to your state Medicaid office immediately. You don't have to wait for a renewal notice. Some changes can affect your eligibility.
- Keep a copy of your response. If you mail something, keep a copy or get a confirmation number. If you submit online, save the confirmation email. If coverage ends and you need to challenge it, you'll have proof you responded.
When a Change During the Year Requires Recalculation
You don't have to wait for the annual renewal notice to report changes. If something big happens — your income goes up or down, someone moves in or out of your home, you get married or divorced, or a child is born — report it to your state. The state may do a mid-year redetermination, which means checking your eligibility before the regular renewal date. This can work in your favor (lower income might mean higher assistance) or against you (higher income might end coverage). But either way, it's important to report changes so the state has accurate information.
Common questions
What is Medicaid redetermination or renewal?
A redetermination or renewal is when your state checks whether you still qualify for Medicaid. States typically do this once a year, though adults in the ACA expansion group will renew twice a year starting January 2027. You must respond to the state's notice or your coverage may end.
What happens if I miss the Medicaid renewal deadline?
If you don't respond to the renewal notice by the deadline, your coverage ends even if you still qualify — called procedural termination. But you have a 90-day window to contact your state and ask for reconsideration of your eligibility without filing a new application. After that, you can still reapply at any time.
What is the 90-day reconsideration period?
Federal rules allow a 90-day period after your Medicaid ends for your eligibility to be reviewed again without a brand-new application. You must contact your state agency within that window to ask for reconsideration. After 90 days, you can still reapply, but you're starting fresh.
How do I respond to a renewal notice?
Open the notice and read it carefully. It will tell you what information you need to send back — usually income, household size, or changes in your situation. Follow the instructions to mail, call, upload, or visit in person by the deadline date.
Will Medicaid renewals change?
Yes. Starting with renewals scheduled on or after January 1, 2027, adults who qualify through the ACA expansion (roughly, adults without children, under 65, based on income alone) will renew every 6 months instead of every 12. Everyone else — children, pregnant women, people over 65, and people with disabilities — continues to renew once a year.
Related topics
This page covers the renewal process and what happens if you miss the deadline. For the full picture of what to do after losing coverage, see Lost Medicaid? Your Options and Deadlines. For eligibility basics, see Medicaid Eligibility. And for how work requirements affect renewals, see Medicaid Work Requirements. For state-specific rules and contacts, use the State Medicaid Directory.
Official sources
- CMS.gov: 2024 Benefit and Payment Parameters Final Rule (90-day Medicaid/CHIP reconsideration period)
- Medicaid.gov: State Medicaid Director Letter #26-001 (6-month renewal for expansion adults starting January 2027)
- HealthCare.gov: Medicaid & CHIP coverage, how to apply, and what happens if you're turned down
- Medicaid.gov