A missed renewal deadline can end your Indiana Medicaid coverage even when you still qualify. Federal law requires Indiana Medicaid, administered by the state's Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), to try to renew you automatically from data it already holds before it asks you for anything, but when a renewal packet does reach you, it has to come back on time.

Renew online at the FSSA Benefits Portal · Call the Division of Family Resources (DFR): 1-800-403-0864

Recertification is the recurring point at which the FSSA confirms you still qualify for Medicaid: eligibility is set at your initial application and redetermined at least once every 12 months after that.

Inside FSSA, the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning is the single state Medicaid agency and the Division of Family Resources (DFR) runs eligibility casework. One Indiana-specific detail matters: FSSA updates the income and asset standards it applies on March 1 each year, not January 1, so a packet you receive early in the year is measured against the figures taking effect that March.

In This Guide

The Indiana Medicaid recertification and renewal cycle

Under federal renewal rules, FSSA renews MAGI coverage once every 12 months and no more often, and redetermines non-MAGI coverage at least every 12 months. Your renewal month is set when you are first approved and recurs in the same calendar month every year: approved in October, your renewal comes due each October. The one exception on the horizon is HIP expansion adults, who shift to a 6-month cycle for renewals scheduled on or after January 1, 2027 (see the 2027 changes section below).

Indiana renewals split into two procedural paths by eligibility category:

  • MAGI populations (Healthy Indiana Plan adults ages 19 to 64, children and pregnant members on Hoosier Healthwise, parent caretakers): renewed using Modified Adjusted Gross Income methodology, with no asset test. Income is verified through federal and state data sources, including Social Security Administration and Internal Revenue Service records and state wage data.
  • Non-MAGI populations (Aged, Blind, and Disabled; nursing-facility and HCBS-waiver members; Medicare Savings Programs): renewed under SSI-related methodology, which includes an asset test. Indiana is an income-cap state, so a long-term-care member's countable income is measured against the Special Income Level of $2,982 a month in 2026, and a single applicant is held to $2,000 in countable assets. Federal law requires the state to verify financial resources at renewal as well as at application, through an Asset Verification System (Section 1940 of the Social Security Act), which is why a non-MAGI renewal asks for bank records and a signed AVS authorization.

Ex parte renewal in Indiana

The most important federal rule in modern Medicaid renewal is the ex parte default at 42 CFR 435.916. Before FSSA asks you for any information at renewal, it must try to redetermine your eligibility from reliable information it already holds, including electronic data sources. For MAGI coverage that duty is unconditional under paragraph (a)(2), and only when FSSA cannot renew on that basis may it ask you for anything. For non-MAGI coverage the duty sits in paragraph (b) on a different trigger: FSSA must renew on available information if sufficient information is available to do so, and the paperwork procedures that follow are a state option rather than a federal guarantee.

In Indiana, ex parte renewal pulls from Social Security earnings and benefit records, IRS tax data, state wage records, and other benefit programs the household receives. If those sources confirm the member is still within the income limits for their category and nothing categorical has changed, the renewal processes automatically and the member gets a notice, usually about a month before the renewal month, saying coverage continues and no action is required.

When ex parte cannot confirm eligibility, FSSA comes back to the member for what is missing. If your eligibility is based on MAGI, federal law requires the agency to send a renewal form carrying the information it already has and to allow at least 30 days from the date of the renewal form to respond, supply anything missing, and sign. That clock runs from the date printed on the form, not the day it reaches your mailbox. For non-MAGI eligibility (age, disability, long-term services and supports, an MSP, or the medically needy pathway), federal rules let Indiana follow that same procedure, and the 90-day reconsideration window below, but require neither, so ask FSSA what applies to your case. Ex parte cannot finish a renewal when the data do not answer the question: asset documentation that automated sources cannot supply (ABD and long-term-care cases), income that does not appear in wage databases (self-employment, gig, or cash income), or a household that changed.

If you declare U.S. citizenship, U.S. national status, or a satisfactory immigration status and FSSA cannot promptly verify it, federal law (42 CFR 435.956) requires a reasonable opportunity period to produce documentation. It starts the day you receive the notice, which the rule deems to be 5 days after the date on it unless you show otherwise, and ends at the earlier of verification or 90 days after that start date. During the period benefits may not be delayed, denied, reduced, or terminated for someone the agency otherwise finds eligible, and Indiana may not cap how many such periods you get.

How to renew Indiana Medicaid

Under 42 CFR 435.916, a renewal may be submitted through any mode of application the agency offers, and no in-person interview may be required. In Indiana the fastest channel is the FSSA Benefits Portal.

Channel Where Notes
Online fssabenefits.in.gov Fastest; real-time confirmation and document upload; recommended
Phone DFR 1-800-403-0864 Renewals, packet requests, and status; hold times can be long
Mail Local DFR office (address on the packet) Allow several days for processing after receipt
In person Any local DFR office Find your office through the FSSA Benefits Portal

The portal is the statewide account for Indiana benefits: view your case, update contact information, upload documents, renew, and check a pending action. For the full application walkthrough, see how to apply for Indiana Medicaid.

The 90-day reconsideration window

If your coverage closed because you missed the renewal paperwork, you usually do not have to start over.

Under 42 CFR 435.916(a)(3)(iii), if you lose Medicaid for failure to return the renewal form (a procedural termination, not an eligibility-based one), FSSA must reconsider your eligibility and treat the late-returned form as the renewal if you submit it within 90 days of the termination, without requiring a new application (required for MAGI-based coverage; a state option otherwise). If you are found still eligible, your coverage is restored.

The clock starts on the termination date, not the notice date, so read your closure notice carefully.

To use the window, submit the renewal form through any channel above. If you no longer have it, call DFR at 1-800-403-0864 or request a new packet through the portal, and note the closure date so DFR routes the case correctly.

HIP renewals and the POWER account

The Healthy Indiana Plan is Indiana's Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion pathway for non-disabled adults ages 19 to 64 with family income below roughly 138% of the federal poverty level (technically 133% plus a 5% disregard). Because HIP is a MAGI category, its renewals use income data and apply no asset test. For a single adult in 2026, the monthly income limit is $1,835.50 for HIP Plus and $1,330.00 for HIP Basic.

HIP renewals run on the same annual ex parte cycle. Two HIP-specific points matter:

  • Personal Wellness and Responsibility (POWER) account contributions. HIP Plus members pay a monthly contribution of 2 percent of family income for the HIP Plus package, which adds vision, dental, and chiropractic coverage. Falling behind on contributions is a separate risk from the annual renewal, and it can affect which HIP benefit package you hold.
  • Income alone will stop settling a HIP case. 42 CFR 435.119(d) makes the adult group subject to the federal community-engagement requirement as of its implementation date; from then on, meeting the HIP income limits will not by itself settle eligibility.
  • The 6-month cycle starting in 2027. HIP expansion adults are exactly the population the 2025 federal budget law moves to a 6-month redetermination cycle for renewals scheduled on or after January 1, 2027 (see the 2027 changes section).

Children and postpartum coverage

Section 5112 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 requires every state to give children under age 19 on Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) 12 months of continuous eligibility from the date of enrollment, effective January 1, 2024. Once an Indiana child is enrolled, coverage is locked in for 12 months regardless of a rise in family income. If a parent loses coverage mid-year because household income went up, the children stay covered until their next annual renewal.

Limited exceptions allow mid-year termination: the child turns 19, moves out of state, dies, the family voluntarily disenrolls, or there is fraud. Report a raise accurately anyway; the children keep coverage either way.

Indiana also provides Medicaid postpartum coverage for a full 12 months after the end of pregnancy under the state option made permanent for states by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Coverage continues through that period regardless of income changes, and the annual renewal cycle resumes after it ends.

Long-term care and waiver renewals

If you receive Medicaid long-term care, whether in a nursing facility or through a home- and community-based waiver, your renewal has two independent parts, and both must stay current.

The financial redetermination is run by DFR on the annual 12-month cycle and includes the asset test that federal law requires the state to run through the Asset Verification System. For institutional and waiver members it reviews income (Social Security, pensions, other sources), countable assets against the $2,000 single limit, and, for a nursing-facility resident, the post-eligibility share-of-cost calculation that leaves a $52 monthly Personal Needs Allowance plus spousal and health-insurance allowances. Because Indiana is an income-cap state, a member whose income exceeds the Special Income Level of $2,982 a month keeps eligibility only through a Qualified Income Trust (Miller Trust), and the trust deposits must continue through the renewal.

The level-of-care reassessment is the second part. Indiana delivers waiver long-term care through two 1915(c) waivers that replaced the former Aged and Disabled Waiver on July 1, 2024: the Indiana PathWays for Aging Waiver for members 60 and older and the Health and Wellness Waiver for those 59 and under. To keep waiver coverage, a member must continue to meet a nursing-facility level of care. One of Indiana's 16 Area Agencies on Aging makes the initial level-of-care determination when a member first seeks waiver services, and level of care is then evaluated at least once a year after that. A member can pass one review and fail the other. If level of care is no longer met, waiver coverage ends but the member may continue on standard ABD Medicaid if otherwise eligible. For the full framework, see Indiana Medicaid HCBS waivers and Indiana Medicaid long-term care.

Members 60 and older receive these services through PathWays for Aging, but the financial renewal still runs through DFR.

Returned mail and address changes

A renewal packet returned to DFR as undeliverable can lead to a termination. The federal rule requiring FSSA to search for a new address first, 42 CFR 435.919, was removed effective July 31, 2026. Federal law now says only that the agency may act without advance notice when your whereabouts are unknown (42 CFR 431.213(d)), and that coverage must be reinstated if your whereabouts become known while you are still eligible (42 CFR 431.231(d)). Indiana may still have its own procedures, so call DFR if your mail has come back.

Indiana delivers most Medicaid through managed care, and your plan keeps its own address file, separate from the DFR case record, so update both. The plans by program are:

Program Who it serves Health plans
Healthy Indiana Plan Adults 19 to 64 (expansion) Anthem, CareSource, Managed Health Services
Hoosier Healthwise Children and pregnant members Anthem, CareSource, Managed Health Services
Hoosier Care Connect Aged, blind, and disabled members Anthem, Managed Health Services, UnitedHealthcare
PathWays for Aging Members 60 and older (long-term services) Anthem, Humana, UnitedHealthcare

After a move, update your address through the portal or DFR at 1-800-403-0864, update it with your health plan, and file a postal change of address.

Procedural vs eligibility-based termination

This distinction decides whether the 90-day reconsideration window is open to you or you must file a new application.

Termination type What it means Reconsideration available?
Procedural Renewal form not returned, missing signature, no documentation, or no response to a request Yes; 90 days from the termination date
Eligibility-based FSSA determined you no longer meet income, asset, residency, or categorical rules No; file a new application or appeal

Read the stated reason on the notice: "failure to provide requested information" or "no response to renewal" means the 90-day window is open to you.

Fair hearing rights in Indiana

If your renewal is denied or your coverage terminated, you have a federal right to a fair hearing under 42 CFR 431.220. Federal law caps the request window at 90 days from the date the notice is mailed. Read that 90 days correctly: it is a ceiling on the window a state may set, not a floor, and a shorter state deadline is the one that binds you. Indiana's is 33 days from the date of the notice or the action, whichever is later, and it is counted strictly: the written appeal must reach FSSA by close of business (4:30 PM local time where it is received), and a mailed appeal counts on the date it arrives, not the postmark.

Indiana appeals are heard by an administrative law judge at the Indiana Office of Administrative Law Proceedings (OALP), which now hears the matters previously adjudicated by FSSA's Office of Hearings and Appeals. There is no fee to appeal. How you appeal depends on the action:

  • An eligibility action (a renewal denial or termination) follows the written instructions on the DFR notice you received.
  • A covered-services action for a member enrolled in Hoosier Healthwise, Hoosier Care Connect, or HIP must first go through the member's health plan appeal process before it reaches OALP. FSSA names only those three programs and is silent on PathWays for Aging, so a PathWays member should follow the instructions on the notice they received rather than assume either route.

Keeping benefits during the appeal. Under 42 CFR 431.230, your Medicaid continues during the appeal when you request the hearing before the action takes effect, after the agency's required advance notice. If that date has already passed, ask anyway: 42 CFR 431.231 lets the agency reinstate services if you request a hearing within 10 days of the date of action. One Indiana-specific caveat for HIP: a HIP Plus or HIP State Plan Plus member must keep making the monthly POWER account contribution during the appeal to keep those benefits. For the full appeal process, see Indiana Medicaid appeals and fair hearings.

What changes in 2027: 6-month HIP renewals

Section 71107 of the 2025 federal budget-reconciliation law (H.R.1, Public Law 119-21) requires states to redetermine eligibility once every 6 months, rather than every 12 months, for the ACA expansion-adult population, for renewals scheduled on or after January 1, 2027. Its only exemption covers an Indian or Urban Indian as defined in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, a California Indian, and anyone otherwise determined eligible as an Indian for the Indian Health Service, and it turns on a state determination rather than on your say-so. Other enrollees stay on the standard 12-month cycle. The same law layers on a community-engagement (work) requirement, which states must implement no later than January 1, 2027 but may elect to implement earlier under the state plan or a section 1115 demonstration, so an Indiana HIP member should not read that date as a wall. Because Indiana adopted expansion through HIP, this reaches the state directly: HIP's expansion adults are the population that shifts to twice-a-year renewals.

The same 2025 law also shortens retroactive eligibility for applications filed on or after January 1, 2027, to two months before the application month for most enrollees and one month for the expansion group, down from the long-standing three-month default.

Common Indiana Medicaid recertification mistakes

  1. Ignoring the renewal packet because the envelope looks like junk mail. Open anything from FSSA, DFR, or your health plan right away.
  2. Assuming ex parte will handle everything. When it cannot confirm your eligibility, the packet has to come back by the deadline printed on the form.
  3. Not knowing the 90-day reconsideration window exists. A procedural closure can be reconsidered within 90 days with the renewal form and no new application (required for MAGI-based coverage; a state option otherwise).
  4. Missing the asset verification signature for ABD or long-term care. Federal law lets the state find you ineligible on that basis alone if you refuse or revoke the authorization.
  5. Assuming children lose coverage when a parent does. Children under 19 keep coverage for their full 12-month continuous-eligibility period regardless of family income changes.
  6. Missing Indiana's 33-day appeal deadline. The federal ceiling is 90 days, but Indiana requires a written appeal within 33 days of the notice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do I have to renew Indiana Medicaid?

Once every 12 months for most members, in the same calendar month each year, tied to your initial approval date. Federal renewal rules require a redetermination at least once every 12 months for ongoing eligibility. One change is coming: HIP expansion adults move to a 6-month cycle for renewals scheduled on or after January 1, 2027.

What is ex parte renewal?

Ex parte renewal means FSSA uses data it already has (Social Security, IRS, and wage records) to confirm your eligibility without asking you for anything. If it succeeds, you get a notice that coverage continues and no action is required. You do not apply for it; the state attempts it first at every renewal.

What happens if I miss my Indiana Medicaid renewal deadline?

Your coverage closes at the end of your renewal month. If the closure was procedural, you have a 90-day reconsideration window under 42 CFR 435.916 to submit the renewal and have your eligibility reconsidered without a new application, and coverage is restored if you are found still eligible (required for MAGI-based coverage; a state option otherwise). Miss the 90 days and you must file a new application through the FSSA Benefits Portal.

Where do I submit my Indiana Medicaid renewal?

Online at the FSSA Benefits Portal (fssabenefits.in.gov) is fastest. You can also call DFR at 1-800-403-0864, or mail or bring the form to your local DFR office.

I am on HIP. What is different about my renewal?

HIP renewals run on the same annual ex parte cycle, but HIP Plus members must stay current on their monthly POWER account contributions, which is a separate risk from the renewal itself. Starting with renewals scheduled on or after January 1, 2027, HIP expansion adults renew every 6 months.

My mail was returned. Will Indiana close my case automatically?

Federal law no longer answers that: the rule requiring FSSA to search for a new address first, 42 CFR 435.919, was removed effective July 31, 2026. Indiana may still have its own procedures, so update your address through the FSSA Benefits Portal or DFR and ask what happens to your case.

Can I appeal if my renewal is denied?

Yes. Federal law caps the request window at 90 days from the notice date, but Indiana requires a written appeal within 33 days of the notice or action. If you request the hearing before the action takes effect, your Medicaid continues pending the decision; HIP Plus members must keep paying their POWER account contribution to keep those benefits. Appeals are heard by an administrative law judge at the Indiana Office of Administrative Law Proceedings.

Indiana Medicaid renewal: contacts and resources

These offices handle renewals, reconsiderations, and appeals.

FSSA Benefits Portal Renew online, upload documents, update your address, and check case status. fssabenefits.in.gov
Division of Family Resources Renewals by phone, packet requests, address updates, and case status. 1-800-403-0864
Indiana Office of Administrative Law Proceedings Fair hearings on FSSA and Medicaid actions. Email: fssa.appeals@oalp.in.gov in.gov/oalp/resources-for-fssa-appeals

To check whether your renewal has been processed, log in to the FSSA Benefits Portal or call DFR at 1-800-403-0864. Brevy's guides to Indiana Medicaid eligibility and income limits, how to apply for Indiana Medicaid, and the Indiana Medicaid hub cover the broader eligibility picture.

Learn More

MedicaidIndiana Medicaid hubIndiana Medicaid covers long-term care through FSSA in 2026. PathWays for Aging, income-cap rules, Miller Trust, spousal protections, and how to apply. MedicaidHow to apply for Indiana MedicaidApply for Indiana Medicaid online, in person at a local DFR office, by mail, or by phone, plus Miller Trust rules, documents, timelines, and appeals. MedicaidIndiana Medicaid eligibility and income limitsSee the 2026 Indiana Medicaid income limits and asset rules. Indiana is an income-cap state, so over-income applicants need a Miller Trust to qualify for care. MedicaidIndiana Medicaid appeals and fair hearingsHow to appeal an Indiana Medicaid denial, reduction, or termination, keep your benefits during the appeal, and request a fair hearing before an OALP judge. MedicaidIndiana Medicaid HCBS waiversIndiana Medicaid HCBS waivers pay for home and community care at a nursing-facility level: the PathWays for Aging Waiver and the Health and Wellness Waiver. MedicaidIndiana Medicaid long-term care and nursing homesHow Indiana Medicaid nursing home coverage works in 2026: the income cap and Miller Trust, the asset limit, share of cost, and spousal protections.

Find personalized help navigating your Indiana Medicaid renewal at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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