IMPORTANT: All Medical Assistance (MA) Recipients Must Submit a Renewal to Keep Benefits - See "MA Renewals" Below ↓

Medical Assistance (MA) Renewals

MA Renewals and the Ending COVID EmergencyMA Renewals Part 1
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
What to Expect During the “Unwinding Period” As Renewals Resume
Four (4) Types of MA Renewals
Information to Provide to Your County or Tribal Agency
When to Contact the Northwoods Law Group
MA Renewals Part 2 (this page)
Medical Assistance Questions? When to Contact Your County Financial Worker
MinnesotaCare Questions? When to Contact DHS Health Care Customer Support
Additional FAQs
Helpful Links on MA Renewals
Medical Assistance (MA) Questions? When to Contact Your County Financial Worker

Contact a financial worker from your county (PDF) when:

  • You have questions about MA/Medicaid enrollment status, eligibility, or Renewals
  • Your household has both a person with MA/Medicaid and a person with MinnesotaCare

NOTE: Instead, contact the Health Care Customer Support line (see next section) when:

  • You have questions about MinnesotaCare, only
  • You are unsure whether you have (or a person for whom you are the authorized representative has) MA or MinnesotaCare
MinnesotaCare Questions? When to Contact DHS Health Care Customer Support

Contact DHS’s Health Care Customer Support line (651-297-3862 or 800-657-3672) when:

  • You have questions about MinnesotaCare enrollment status, eligibility, or Renewals
  • You are unsure whether you have (or whether a person for whom you are the authorized representative has) MA or MinnesotaCare

NOTE: Instead, contact your county’s financial worker (see previous section) when:

  • You have questions about MA/Medicaid, only
  • Your household has both a person with MA/Medicaid and a person with MinnesotaCare

Back to Top

Additional FAQs on MA Renewals What Is the Reason for This Change?

For the past three (3) years during the COVID-19 public health emergency, temporary “continuous coverage” policies were put in place to ensure that current and new enrollees in MA (a.k.a. “ “Medicaid”) and MinnesotaCare could continue receiving those healthcare benefits during the pandemic without needing to submit their annual or biannual Renewals paperwork. In other words, Continuous Coverage policies meant that people enrolled in government benefits were simply presumed to be eligible to continue their coverage every year.

The COVID-19 national emergency officially ended on March 31st, 2023, which means that as of April 1st, 2023, the pandemic-related Continuous Coverage policies ended, too – so now recipients of MA and MinnesotaCare must submit regular Renewals to keep their coverage like they did before the pandemic.

When and How Will DHS or My County Contact Me About My MA Renewal?

Ensure that the county can reach you – provide your current address and contact information to DHS as soon as possible. If you have moved to a new county in the last four (4) years, report your new address to your previous county office (PDF) or tribal agency so that your old county can transfer your case to your new county.

You will primarily be contacted by US Mail. See DHS’s General Renewals Timeline for a table showing roughly when you can expect to be contacted by your county based on when your Renewal Month occurs. You may also receive text messages from DHS to alert you that your Renewal information is in the mail and/or to send you follow-up reminders about your submission due-date.

You may be contacted early by your county to verify your contact information. For example, enrollees with July 2023 Renewals may have been contacted by DHS about their current address as early as March (before Minnesota had entered the Unwinding Period).

First, a few months early, you will receive a Pre-Renewal Notice in the mail telling you that Renewals are resuming. Then, six (6) to eight (8) weeks later, you will get a Renewal Notice that includes your blank Renewal form to complete and return to the county. If you receive an Auto-Renewal Notice instead of a Renewal Notice containing your blank Renewal form, then no action is needed. (See Helpful Links on MA Renewals at the bottom of this page for examples of these documents.)

IMPORTANT: Beware of Renewals scams.

Scammers have been calling and emailing MA recipients to phish for their personal information or to demand money.

If you have information to provide to DHS or to any government agency, then you can always contact the agency, yourself, to ensure that you are speaking to someone from an official organization.

DHS or your county will never call you to ask for personal information or demand payment over the phone.

If you receive a phone call from anyone claiming to work for the government and they ask for money or personal information so that you can keep your health insurance, hang up immediately.

DHS or your county will never email you to ask you for protected health information (PHI) or payment details.

If you receive an email from someone claiming to work for the government and they ask you for money or personal information, do not reply to the email. If there are links included in the email, do not click on any links. If there are files attached to the email, do not open any attachments.

A good rule of thumb is to never open attachments, nor to click on the links, in any emails you receive unless you know the sender personally and/or unless you were expecting the email.

What if I Miss My Renewal Deadline?

In case you miss your Renewal deadline during the Unwinding Period (remember, all Renewals are due by the 8th of the month before your Renewal Month), DHS’s FAQ for MA and MinnesotaCare Renewals advises enrollees to still complete and return late Renewal forms as soon as possible.

How Do I Know if I Am (Or if a Person Is) Enrolled in MA/Medicaid or MinnesotaCare Plans or Programs?

If the government is paying for your health insurance, medical care, nursing home, or home healthcare services, then you are enrolled in government benefits. There are multiple ways that a person may be receiving MA benefits, such as participating in one of the Medical Assistance waiver programs, which is sometimes called “being on a waiver.”

If you are not sure whether or not someone is on Medical Assistance (or on MinnesotaCare), contact your county financial worker (or tribal office), or contact the Health Care Customer Service line (see previous sections for when to contact the HCCS line versus when to contact a financial worker.)

Back to Top

Helpful Links on MA Renewals General Renewals Information from the Department of Human Services Online Tools from DHS Renewals Timeline from DHS

Back to Top

General Renewals Information from Other Government Agencies Agency Contact Information
DHS’s Official Forms and Notices on Renewals | MN DHS
  • Mailed Auto-Renewal Notices (a.k.a. “Health Care Notices”)
    • Sample Auto-Renewal Notice | MN DHS (PNG Image)
    • If DHS is able to automatically renew your coverage, you may receive an Auto-Renewal Notice instead of a Renewal Notice, meaning no action is required (unless information included in the Auto-Renewal about an enrollee is incorrect)
Some Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCPs) and Services | MN DHS

Back to Top

Client Reviews
★★★★★
"Thank you for your continued help. You all seem to be the only place I can go for answers." K.C.
★★★★★
"I think the world of Laura Z-as a lawyer with incredible expertise and knowledge and as a wonderful human being. I couldn't rate her any higher!" N.B.K.
★★★★★
"Working with Laura has made all the difference for our family! She's helped us navigate some complex situations with expertise and care. We couldn't have gotten through all of this without her help. We will continue to work with her as family needs arise in the future." B.M.
★★★★★
"We are so grateful to Laura for her responsiveness, thoroughness and extensive knowledge of the law. She has helped us immensely in our family estate planning. We especially appreciate how she listened to our particular needs and found creative solutions to our situation." D.B.
★★★★★
"Laura Zdychnec has been wonderful to work with. Her vast experience and reliable advice were indispensable in setting up my trust account and navigating the legal shoals involved. Laura came highly recommended by my close friend Frances Long, a founder of the former firm." S.R.
View More
Submit a Law Firm Client Review