Understand your options if you lose Medicaid or CHIP
Published on June 10, 2023
For the past few years, states had to continue your coverage in Medicaid (and in some cases the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)), even if your income or other factors changed that would typically make you ineligible.
States are now returning to normal operations, so they’ll recheck your eligibility for these programs again. If your state finds that your household income is now too high or other changes make you ineligible, you may lose your Medicaid or CHIP coverage.
If this happens, you have other options for health insurance.
Your options to enroll in health coverage:
Apply for Marketplace coverage at HealthCare.gov
- Most people qualify for savings on a health plan to lower their monthly premium and what they pay when they get care.
- 4 in 5 customers are able to find health coverage for $10 or less a month.
- All Marketplace plans cover doctor’s visits, prescription drugs, emergency care, mental health, hospitalizations, and more.
- You can apply and enroll in a Marketplace plan as early as 60 days before your Medicaid or CHIP coverage ends to avoid a gap in coverage.
- From March 31, 2023 - July 31, 2024, you can also apply for a Marketplace plan any time after your Medicaid or CHIP coverage ends. You’ll have 60 days after submitting your application to enroll in a plan that will start at the beginning of the next month after you complete your enrollment.
Enroll now to get coverage that can start the first of next month.
Create an account (or log into an existing one) to start an application.
Explore your eligibility for Medicaid, CHIP, & Medicare
- You can re-apply through your state to find out if you still qualify for Medicaid/CHIP.
- If you’re 65 or older but didn’t sign up for Medicare when you first became eligible, you may be able to sign up without paying a late enrollment penalty.