Iowa Medicaid Members – Be on the Look Out for Renewal Information

Due to the federal COVID-19 public health emergency, from March 2020, through April 1, 2023, Iowa Medicaid was required to maintain continuous healthcare coverage for members. This meant that if a member’s situation changed in a way that would normally disqualify them from the program, Iowa Medicaid was required to maintain coverage for the person during the federal public health emergency.

When the continuous coverage requirement ends on April 1, 2023, Iowa Medicaid members must go through an eligibility renewal process to determine if they are still eligible for Medicaid programs. This means that most Medicaid members will go through a redetermination process during the next 12 months to determine if they are still eligible for any Medicaid program(s).

• ACTION NEEDED: It is important that Medicaid members ensure their contact information is up-to-date, watch for mail from Iowa Medicaid and/or Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS), and respond to requests for information.
• If members do not respond to renewal letters or requests for information, they run the risk of losing their Medicaid coverage. Any failure to respond to information from HHS could result in loss of healthcare coverage.

Questions? For more information on the end of the continuous coverage requirement, visit the Iowa HHS website and sign up for email notifications and monthly newsletters, If you have questions about when your eligibility renewal will happen, you can call 1-855-889-7985 to speak with a representative from Iowa HHS. If you need to report a change or update your address with Iowa Medicaid, please call 877-347-5678.

What If I Lose My Medicaid Coverage?

The following resources can help those members who no longer qualify for Medicaid or Hawki to secure other healthcare coverage:

• Navigator Agency | Navigators provide in-person insurance enrollment assistance to individuals, families and small businesses and their employees that would like help applying for health insurance through the Healthcare Marketplace.
• Marketplace Coverage | You can get local, Marketplace-certified help by visiting the following website: Get help applying and more | HealthCare.gov

Open Enrollment Period for MCOs | What to Expect this Year

Currently, Iowa Medicaid contracts with two managed care organizations (MCOs), Wellpoint (formerly Amerigroup), and Iowa Total Care, to provide services for the majority of Medicaid and Hawki members.  A new MCO, Molina Healthcare, was selected as the third MCO. Molina is expected to begin providing services on July 1, 2023.

All members will receive an open enrollment letter soon announcing the addition of Molina and that MCO member reassignments go into effect on July 1, 2023. You’ll want to check your letter to see if your child stayed with their current MCO or if there was a change. If you like the MCO your child is assigned to, you do not need to do anything. If you want to make a change, you will want to contact Medicaid Member Services. Open enrollment will begin March 1, 2023, and run through May 18, 2023. After July 1, 2023, when Molina begins services, members will also be given 90 days to change MCOs.

Why does this matter?

• Not all care providers contract with all MCOs. To avoid losing coverage for the care you receive, please check to see which MCO your care providers contract with.
• ChildServe contracts with all three MCOs in Iowa.

Do I have a choice in switching which MCO my child is assigned to?

• Yes, you will have from March 1- May 18, 2023 to change your MCO.
• Beginning July 1, all members will have 90 days to change their MCO if they are not satisfied with their assignment.

Questions about your MCO enrollment or need to change your MCO?

• Call Iowa Medicaid Member Services (Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.) at 1-800-338-8366 (Toll Free), 515-256-4606 (Des Moines Area), or 1-800-735-2942 (TTY).