Medicaid coverage must be renewed every 12 months. It is important to follow these steps to make sure your renewal is completed successfully.

Make sure Medicaid has your correct address. If you have moved, it is very important that you provide your current address to the state. You must be able to receive your renewal packet. You can update your address in one of three ways:

• Call NJ FamilyCare at (800) 701-0710;
• Call the member services number for your Medicaid insurance company using the number on the back of your insurance card; or
• Call or visit your county Medicaid office.

Watch for your renewal packet. Your insurance company may send you a letter or text the month before your renewal packet will be mailed, telling you to expect it. If you have completed and returned a renewal packet in the last year, then you will probably receive it in the same month this year. For example, if you received your renewal packet in August 2024, then it will probably come again in August 2025. However, this is not true for everyone. People in certain groups may be switched to a different month. If you do not receive your renewal packet in the month you are expecting it, call (800) 701-0710 or your county Medicaid office. Note: you can call the 800 number no matter what plan you are on.

Watch for notices. Not everyone will receive a renewal packet. The state will be able to determine that some people are eligible based on information it already has about you or your family members, such as from a tax return or SNAP renewal. If that happens, then NJ FamilyCare will send you a notice telling you which family members have been re-enrolled, based on that information.

Respond to requests for information by the deadline. If you receive a letter asking you to send in more documents or other information, respond by the deadline stated in the letter. If possible, keep a copy of what you submit with a note of the date you sent it. If you need more time to gather the information, you can call the agency on the notice, explain why you need more time, and ask for an extension.

You have appeal rights. If you think your Medicaid was terminated even though you are still eligible for coverage, you will be able to request a fair hearing. The information on how to file will be in the notices that you receive.

If you miss a deadline to send in your renewal paperwork, you should send it in as soon as you can. Even if you don’t get the renewal packet sent by the renewal deadline, you will have 90 days to send in the information. If the information shows that you are eligible, your Medicaid will be reinstated.

If you no longer qualify for the program you are currently on, you will be evaluated for other programs.  For example, if you started receiving Medicare recently, you will need to switch to a different Medicaid program. Before you are terminated from Medicaid, the state is supposed to evaluate your information to see if you might qualify for a different program. All of the programs have different criteria for eligibility.

If you no longer qualify for Medicaid coverage and you have no other insurance, your information will be sent to Get Covered NJ. You will have a 60-day “Special Enrollment Period” to select and purchase a plan on the state insurance marketplace. The 60 days will start to run after your Medicaid is terminated. GetCoveredNJ can help you find and enroll in a plan, such as the Center for Family Services (877-962-8448), which operates statewide. See Search for in-person assistance (from GetCoveredNJ).

If you have been terminated and think you are still eligible, contact the LSNJ Health Care Access Project through the LSNJLAW^SM Hotline at www.lsnjlawhotline.org (1-888-LSNJ-LAW, 1-888-576-5529), or your local Legal Services program.

This information last reviewed: Dec 18, 2024