Medicaid auto-renewal deadline approaching for Kentucky children

Families urged to watch for mail and complete renewal paperwork

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — A temporary Medicaid extension for children that was put into effect during COVID-19 is set to expire at the end of this month.

Thousands of Kentuckians may be impacted by the upcoming change. July 1 is a major date for 600,000 Kentucky children who are currently covered by Medicaid. That’s when the state’s automatic Medicaid renewal will end.

This means many parents will need to carefully check their mail for any notices from the state asking them to manually renew their child’s coverage.

“Parents need to know what steps to take to keep their kids covered. It’s important to update your contact information with the state, check your mail, and respond quickly to any notices that you get requesting updated information,” said Emily Beauregard, Executive Director of Kentucky Voices for Health.

For the past five years, families covered by Medicaid didn’t have to worry about these state notices, as Medicaid has been auto-renewing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that’s about to change.

While Medicaid for adults has already made this transition, experts say child Medicaid is different, and children may still qualify even if parents no longer do.

“Parents may have lost their Medicaid coverage, may have gotten a better-paying job, or something else changed with their household. But their kids could still be eligible, so it’s really important for parents to complete the renewal process, whether you think you’re eligible or not as a family, and just go through that paperwork to see if their kids still qualify,” Beauregard said.

Missing the renewal deadline could mean losing the coverage that’s been in place over the last five years.

“And missing the renewal window could mean kids lose access to routine checkups, to dental visits, to treatment for chronic conditions like asthma or diabetes. We really want to set kids up for success and make sure that they are reaching their potential,” Beauregard said.

Families can visit here for more information, to find their specific renewal date, update their contact information, and get in touch with an expert to answer any questions.