CHICAGO (WMBD)– The pausing of annual Medicaid renewals is coming to a close as COVID-19-era policies are ending.

According to a Gov. Pritzker press release, the first week of May will begin the first round of clients receiving time-sensitive redetermination notices in the mail for their coverage.

Illinois doesn’t have a “coverage cliff” where everyone loses coverage at the same time, the notices will happen on a rolling basis through mid-2024. Every client will have a different due date.

“My administration is committed to making this renewal and redetermination process as smooth and efficient as possible, so that every Illinoisan knows the healthcare options that are available to them,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We’ve been preparing for this moment for many months now, from increasing staffing to our widespread Ready to Renew marketing campaign. And we are collaborating with community health centers, local organizations, and public health partners to deliver resources for Illinois residents that will be most impacted by the restart of the Medicaid redetermination process.”

Approximately 113,600 cases in Illinois are up for renewal in June. Customers with June renewal dates should keep a close eye on their mailboxes starting this week to see if they were renewed automatically or if they need to take action.

Customers who do not respond or have lost eligibility will lose their Medicaid coverage a month after the due date. Anyone who loses Medicaid coverage will receive information about enrolling in alternative coverage.

Medicaid customers can be sure they’re ready to renew by visiting abe.illinois.gov and clicking “Manage My Case” to set up an online account. Once there, customers should:

  • Verify their mailing address is correct to make sure they get mail from HFS (addresses are listed in the ‘Contact Us’ tab).
  • Look up their due date so they know when it is time to renew (due dates are in the ‘Benefit Details’ tab).
  • Complete their renewal right away when they are due.

Customers can also call 1-800-843-6154 for help with their renewal. For more information, please visit HFS’ online information center at Medicaid.illinois.gov, which includes answers to frequently asked questions, links to download the Ready to Renew toolkit, a link to abe.illinois.gov, and will house the HFS operational plan for transitioning out of the public health emergency.