Medicaid renewals resume for first time since beginning of COVID-19 pandemic
By JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois
jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – Medicaid recipients in Illinois should be on the lookout for correspondence from the state regarding their coverage as the normal renewal process resumes for the first time in three years.
Medicaid is a health insurance program for low-income and disabled people that is jointly funded by the federal government and the states. Throughout the pandemic, people who were enrolled in Medicaid did not have to go through the normal process of reapplying every 12 months to determine whether they were eligible, even if there were changes in their income or household that would normally make them ineligible.
That rule has ended due to a change approved by the federal government in its December spending plan. Redetermination letters will be sent to Illinois Medicaid recipients in waves over the next 12 months, with letters going out to the first group this week.
State officials are urging all Medicaid recipients to update their information within the Illinois Medicaid program to ensure their benefits are not wrongly ended due to the state being unable to contact them. Medicaid recipients can do so, and can check their enrollment status, by visiting abe.illinois.gov and clicking “Manage My Case” to set up an online account.
Recipients can also call 1-800-843-6154 or find more at Medicaid.illinois.gov, which includes answers to frequently asked questions and other resources.
In June, according to the governor’s office, approximately 113,600 cases in Illinois are up for renewal. Of those, 51 percent have been automatically renewed as a result of screening by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, which administers Medicaid at the state level. Still, customers with June renewal dates are urged to watch for correspondence from the state to see if they have been renewed automatically or will need to take action by June 1.
Customers who do not respond or who are no longer eligible will lose Medicaid coverage a month after their due date, the administration said in a news release. Those losing eligibility will be notified and will receive information about enrolling in alternative coverage.
DHFS said that Illinois’ Medicaid enrollment grew by about 1 million enrollees during the COVID-19 pandemic, to 3.9 million. But the state also received an additional $3 billion in federal funding through the enhanced matching rate.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated that about 9.5 percent of Medicaid enrollees nationwide, or 8.2 million people, could lose coverage because they are no longer eligible. Another 7.9 percent, or 6.8 million people, could lose coverage despite still being eligible due to issues with the application process.
That would translate to roughly 700,000 people in Illinois. In February, IDHFS said in a news release the department believed it could mitigate the impact to result in roughly 384,000 losing coverage, acknowledging “nobody knows for sure” how many individuals would be affected.
“Illinois has taken a proactive, multi-faceted approach to try to make sure that everyone who is eligible for Medicaid can continue coverage through the program without disruption,” IDHFS Director Theresa Eagleson said in a statement Monday. “Medicaid customers have not had to renew coverage in over three years, and we have engaged in many levels of outreach to prepare people for when their renewal date comes up. We believe these efforts will have a significant impact in preserving coverage.”
The department has been building up staff and has conducted a multi-platform outreach campaign called “Ready to Renew” to ensure recipients are prepared for their renewals. The state is also collaborating with community health centers and local organizations to publicize the restarting of renewals.
The governor’s COVID-19 disaster declaration, which has been ongoing in 30-day increments since March 2020, expires on May 11. That will coincide with the conclusion of the federal government’s disaster declaration.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.
Local News
Young Spiderman fan wishes students a great summer
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Spiderman-kid bids farewell and wishes a beautiful summer break to students of Glen Oak Elementary in Hickory Hills. Since the summer of 2023, when he discovered the movie “Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse,” a story about multiple Spidermen from different dimensions, 6-year-old Ribhi Gaber has been more than just a fan…
Worth finalizes rules for open burning in village
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle After several discussions over the past month, the Village of Worth has new guidelines for open burning by businesses and in residential areas. Mayor Mary Werner mentioned during the Worth Village Board meeting Tuesday night that a discrepancy in an ordinance regarding open burning had a 10 p.m. deadline. However,…
Orland Township event focuses on mental health
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Orland Township is taking the time to focus on mental health. Residents were invited out to join Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady for an event called, Minds Matter 2024, on May 16 at Orland Township, located at 14807 S. Ravinia Avenue in Orland Park. “This was an excellent opportunity to…
Bridgeview shooting not related to Summer Smash
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Bridgeview Police Chief Ricardo Mancha on Monday wanted to emphasize that a shooting in the village Saturday night had nothing to do with the Summer Smash music festival that took place over the weekend at SeatGeek Stadium. “It was an isolated incident,” he said. “Completely unrelated to the Summer Smash…
Summer jobs available for youths through Lyons Township
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The summer jobs program offered each year by the Township of Lyons is up and running. The program for high school and college students “is designed to give young individuals an opportunity for summer employment,” Trustee Donna McDonald said at the township board’s June 11 meeting. The jobs program started…
Pair busted for Summit phone store robberies
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Two Chicago men have been charged with robbing two phone stores in Summit earlier this year. Jacari Franklin and Austin White are charged with robbing the T-Mobile store at 5640 S. Harlem Ave. on March 28 and the AT&T store at Archer and Harlem avenues on April 18, police said.…
Car enthusiasts crowd annual Father’s Day show in Lyons.
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Held under sunny and warm skies Sunday, the annual Father’s Day Car Show in Lyons was deemed a smashing success by participants and visitors. Not only were car lovers able to admire the four-wheeled beauties, some owners spent quality time with Dad or a spouse. Don Raschka, 80, of Central…
May this summer be a good season
Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . “Summer was our best season. It was sleeping on the screened porch on cots, or trying to sleep in the treehouse, summer was everything good to eat. It was a thousand colors in a parched landscape.”…
Neighbors
Corey Wolf ‘living the dream’ as new Shepard hoops coach
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent For Corey Wolf, obtaining the ultimate high school basketball prize started in the summer of 2007. Wolf was playing for a Richards team that had showed much promise, having gone 26-3 and winning a regional title the previous season. Then-Bulldogs coach John Chappetto let his players know when summer…
Staab header helps Red Stars forge draw with KC
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Heading into the weekend, only Kansas City and Orlando were unbeaten among NWSL teams. The teams were tied atop the league standings, with each sporting 8-0-4 records. They now share another common denominator: Both have forged draws with the Red Stars. Red Stars defender Sam Stabb’s header in the…
Red Stars unhappy with Riot Fest conflict
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Among the bands that will headline the newly minted Riot Fest music festival are Chicago-area natives Fall Out Boy. The annual concert featuring an eclectic mix of musical acts will be held in Bridgeview Sept. 20-22 — and boy, oh boy, there is a lot of fallout from the…
It’s about time | Illinois high school hoops gets 35-second shot clock beginning with 2026-27 season
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Count Sandburg sophomore Daniel Morakinyo as someone who can’t wait for the 2026-2027 basketball season. The rising guard/forward will be a senior that year, and he will embrace the IHSA’s implementation of a 35-second shot clock for varsity boys and girls basketball. “It’s a good feature,” Morakinyo said after…
Oak Lawn police target drivers who ignore stop signs
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Oak Lawn police are going to crack down on reckless drivers who repeatedly blow stop signs throughout the village. And police will begin enforcing those measures within the next two weeks. The subject was brought up during the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting June 11. Village Manager Tom Phelan said…
Volunteers from Brother Rice, St. Rita and St. Laurence help indigent on their final journey
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Father Larry Sullivan, a director of Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Chicago and pastor of Christ the King Parish, joined County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and spoke words of love, respect, and God at the 35th annual committal service at Mount Olivet Cemetery. The service on June 6 at…
Riot Fest abandons Chicago park for SeatGeek Stadium
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Last year, Lyrical Lemonade moved its Summer Smash hip-hop music festival from Chicago’s Douglass Park to Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium. Thousands of fans poured into the stadium at 7100 S. Harlem Ave. over the course of three days and, by most accounts, enjoyed the experience. Summer Smash returned to SeatGeek this…
Comings & Goings: Orland Park Summerfest returns this weekend
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Back for a second go round this weekend is the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce’s Summerfest. The event combines a carnival, live music, an array of dining options and a car show, at the 153rd Street Metra Station location in Orland Park and will run from Friday, June 14,…
Repair Cafe this Saturday at Township of Lyons HQ
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Repair cafes have become quite the thing for the Township of Lyons. So much so that another repair cafe will be offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, June 15, at the township office, 6404 Joliet Road in Countryside. A repair café held in May was a smashing…
‘They didn’t have to kill my brother’ – sister of slain Bridgeview man
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Arturo Cantu should be celebrating two big events this weekend. He would have celebrated his 40th birthday on June 14. And, a sister said, he would have enjoyed Father’s Day on Sunday, spending time with family and his two young children. Instead, 10 family members and friends gathered in a…