I’ve Lost my Medicaid/Medicare Coverage. Now What?

If you’ve lost your Medicaid or Medicare coverage in Maryland, there are specific steps you can take next — depending on which program you lost and why the coverage ended. Here’s a clear guide on the “what now”:

If you lost Medicaid Coverage

1. Check Why It Ended
Medicaid in Maryland requires regular renewal/redetermination, usually every 12 months. If you don’t respond to renewal notices, coverage is likely to end.

2. Contact Your Medicaid Agency Immediately

• If your coverage ended recently (generally within the last 90 days), you may still be able to submit missing documents or correct errors and have coverage reinstated.

• Call Maryland Health Connection at 1-800-642-8572 to check your status or to upload documents.

• If you were eligible but didn’t get your notices, updating your contact information can help avoid future lapses.

3. Reapply for Medicaid

• Even if you missed the renewal window, you can reapply for Medicaid at any time through Maryland Health Connection.

• If your income or household situation changed, you might now qualify or again qualify for Medicaid.

4. Appeal the Decision

• If you believe your coverage was ended incorrectly (for example, due to a clerical error), you can file an appeal or request a fair hearing with the state Medicaid agency. This information should be in any termination notice you received.

5. Explore Other Health Coverage Options

• Losing Medicaid qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period to buy a plan through the health insurance Marketplace, usually for up to 60–90 days after losing coverage.  

• Marketplace plans may also qualify you for premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions if your income is low or moderate.

If You Lost Medicare Coverage

Medicare is different from Medicaid — it’s a federal program primarily for people 65+ or certain people under 65 with disabilities.

1. Understand Why You Lost Coverage  

You can lose parts of Medicare for reasons such as:

• Not paying Part B premiums

• Your plan (like a Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plan) was discontinued

• Moving out of a plan’s service area

• Other administrative reasons (Maryland Insurance Administration)

2. Find Out Your Enrollment Options

If a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan ended, you usually have a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) (often through February 28) to choose a new plan for that year. (Maryland Insurance Administration)

• For Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), if coverage ended for non-payment of premiums, you’ll need to contact Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to find out how to reinstate or enroll.  

3. Get Free Help

• The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) in Maryland provides free, unbiased counseling to help you understand your Medicare options and enrollment deadlines.

If you have any further questions or concerns regarding your insurance coverage, & how it affects your care here at Aspire, please give our office a call at 443.442.1568 to speak with our billing department. We look forward to assisting you!

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