Hamilton Community Health Network urges Flint residents to update Medicaid coverage

FLINT, Michigan — This summer, Hamilton Community Health Network (HHN) is urging Flint residents with Medicaid health coverage to update their personal information as Michigan is undergoing Medicaid redetermination.

“Medical redetermination is a year-long renewal process for recipients to confirm their eligibility. Anyone on Medicaid who does NOT redetermine will risk losing healthcare coverage,” said Tim McCarron, HHN Insurance Navigator.

According to HHN, this year, it is especially critical for Michiganders to update their information and check the status of their Medicaid coverage because eligibility has changed. 

In 2020, Medicaid renewals were paused amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the medical implications of the lockdown. This meant that anyone who was previously enrolled in Medicaid before the pandemic and anyone who applied for Medicaid during the pandemic could keep their coverage without a yearly renewal. That was until now.

To be eligible for Michigan Medicaid, “you must be a resident of the state of Michigan in need of health care/insurance assistance, whose financial situation would be characterized as low income or very low income,” as required by the state. 

To qualify for coverage, individuals and/or families must have an annual household income (before taxes) that is below the following amounts:

Courtesy image.For those with current Medicaid coverage, McCarron says to check their coverage status, residents must begin by logging into their MIBridges.Michigan.gov account. Once logged in, the system will allow you to not only see your current coverage details but also update your contact information to ensure you get all of the critical communication. 

“Make sure your contact information, address, phone number, and email are up to date in your MiBridges account. Do not lose coverage simply because you did not receive your redetermination letter and therefore didn't renew,” said McCarron. 

For those more hesitant to complete the redetermination documents, McCarron urges residents to still submit the application. “Regardless of if you think that you are going to lose coverage, fill out the redetermination packet. A member of your household (such as a child or other dependent) could still qualify for coverage.” 

If you have questions, HHN has Certified Application Counselors available to walk residents through updating their information, renewing their coverage, or applying for new coverage. HHN encourages residents to contact the team by phone at 810-406-4246 ext. 4955 for assistance. Community members can also visit MiBridges.gov for more information on Medicaid Redetermination.

McCarron asks the community to “remember that healthcare coverage affects more than just doctor visits. Think about your medication refills, lab work, physical therapy, behavioral health appointments, and more normally covered by your health insurance.”

For more information about resources available at Hamilton Community Health Network, visit: hamiltonchn.org