A missed Maryland Medicaid renewal can end your coverage even if you still qualify. Federal law (42 CFR 435.916) requires the state to try to renew you automatically from data it already holds before it asks you for a single document, but when a renewal packet does reach you, it has to come back on time. This guide explains how the Maryland Medicaid recertification and renewal cycle works, what to do when your packet arrives, and the 90-day window to recover coverage if you miss the deadline.

Renew online at Maryland Health Connection · Long-term care runs through your local social services office

In This Guide

Eligibility is set once at application, but it is redetermined at least every 12 months thereafter under 42 CFR 435.916. A renewal that closes for procedural reasons closed over paperwork rather than eligibility, which is what the 90-day reconsideration window below fixes.

The Maryland Medicaid Recertification and Renewal Cycle

Under 42 CFR 435.916, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), Maryland's single state Medicaid agency, must redetermine eligibility at least once every 12 months. For aged, blind, disabled, long-term-care and Medicare Savings Program enrollees that is a minimum, not a ceiling: MDH may redetermine sooner. Your renewal month is set when you are first approved and recurs in the same calendar month every year: approved in October, you renew every October.

Renewal splits into two procedural paths depending on your eligibility category, and in Maryland the two paths are handled by different offices:

  • MAGI populations (children, pregnant women, parents and caretaker relatives, and the ACA expansion adult group) renew through Maryland Health Connection, the state's integrated eligibility and enrollment portal, using Modified Adjusted Gross Income methodology. Maryland covers the expansion adult group to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (a household of 1 at $1,835 in gross monthly income), children to 322% FPL, and pregnant applicants to 264% FPL. Income is verified through federal and state electronic data sources.
  • Non-MAGI populations (aged, blind, and disabled residents, nursing-facility and HCBS-waiver long-term care, and Medicare Savings Programs) renew through the local department of social services (DSS) or health department, under an eligibility framework that includes an asset test. The medically needy (non-MAGI) countable-asset limit is $2,500 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple, effective February 1, 2026. Because federal law requires every state to verify assets at renewal through an Asset Verification System (Section 1940 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 1396w), these renewals rarely clear automatically and usually require bank statements and a signed authorization.

Ex Parte Maryland Medicaid Renewal

The most important federal rule in modern Medicaid renewal is the ex parte default at 42 CFR 435.916. Before Maryland asks you for any information at renewal, it must first try to redetermine your eligibility without requiring anything from you, whenever it can do so from reliable data already in your account or otherwise available to the agency. Only when it cannot renew on that basis may it request information.

For MAGI renewals, Maryland Health Connection checks federal and state electronic sources, including Social Security Administration earnings and benefit records, IRS tax data, and state wage records. If those confirm you remain within the income threshold for your category and your household has not changed, the renewal processes automatically and you receive a notice that coverage continues for another 12 months and no action is required.

Ex parte fails, and paperwork gets sent, most often when:

  • Income does not appear in wage databases. Self-employment, gig, cash, and seasonal earnings are invisible to automated W-2 checks.
  • Assets have to be verified. Aged, blind, disabled, and long-term-care renewals require asset documentation that automated income data cannot supply, so the local office usually has to request it.
  • The household changed. A new baby, a move, a marriage, or a divorce all require documentation.
  • Income sits near a threshold. When reported income is close to the cutoff, even a small data discrepancy triggers manual review.

When ex parte fails, Maryland comes back to you for what is missing. If your eligibility is based on MAGI, federal law requires the state to send a renewal form with the information it already holds and to give you at least 30 days from the date of the renewal form to respond, supply anything missing, and sign. The clock runs from the date printed on the form, not the day it arrives. That window, and the 90-day reconsideration below, are federal requirements only for MAGI-based coverage; on the age, blindness, disability, long-term-care, and Medicare Savings Program pathways both are a state option, so ask what applies to you. Maryland cannot require an in-person interview to renew.

If you declare U.S. citizenship or a satisfactory immigration status and the state cannot promptly verify it from electronic data, federal law (42 CFR 435.956) requires a reasonable opportunity period. It ends at the earlier of verification or 90 days after the notice, and during it the agency may not delay, deny, reduce, or terminate benefits for someone it otherwise finds eligible.

How to Renew Maryland Medicaid

The channel you use depends on your program. MAGI coverage renews online, by phone, or by mail through Maryland Health Connection. Long-term-care and disability coverage renews through the local office that holds your case.

Program type Where to renew Notes
MAGI (families, children, pregnant, expansion adults) Maryland Health Connection, marylandhealthconnection.gov Online account lets you upload documents, update your address, and check status; also available by phone and mail
Aged, blind, disabled; long-term care; HCBS waivers Local department of social services (DSS) or health department A case worker handles the asset review and the medically needy spend-down; return the packet the office sends you
Medicare Savings Programs Local department of social services / MDH Renewed on the same non-MAGI cycle; often clears ex parte because Social Security income is in the federal data hub

If yours is a long-term-care or disability case, watch for the packet from your local DSS or health department and return it there, not to Maryland Health Connection.

The 90-Day Maryland Medicaid Reconsideration Window

Under 42 CFR 435.916(a)(3)(iii), when coverage is terminated for failure to return the renewal form (a procedural closure, not an eligibility-based one), the agency must reconsider 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. If you are found still eligible, your coverage is restored. That duty is federal for MAGI-based coverage and a state option on the non-MAGI pathways above, so ask what applies to you.

The 90-day clock starts on the termination date, not the date of the notice.

To trigger reconsideration, submit the renewal through the same office that opened your case, and note the closure date clearly so it routes correctly.

Children Keep Coverage for a Full 12 Months

Section 5112 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 requires every state to give children under 19 enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP 12 months of continuous eligibility from the date of enrollment, effective January 1, 2024. Maryland runs a single combined Medicaid/CHIP children's standard covering children to 322% FPL, with no separate CHIP program.

Once a child is enrolled, coverage is locked for 12 months regardless of a change in family income. If a parent loses Medicaid mid-year because household income rose, the children stay covered until the next annual renewal. Limited exceptions allow mid-year termination: the child turns 19, moves out of Maryland, dies, the family voluntarily disenrolls, or there is fraud.

Report an income increase honestly anyway: it protects you from later fraud allegations, and your children keep coverage either way.

Pregnant and Postpartum Coverage

Maryland covers pregnant applicants under MAGI rules to 264% FPL in gross monthly income (a household of 2 at $4,763), counting a pregnant applicant as a household of at least two. Coverage during pregnancy is not subject to the mid-year income swings that affect other adults.

After pregnancy, federal law gives states a permanent option to extend Medicaid and CHIP coverage for a full 12 months postpartum, added to the Social Security Act by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The extension runs from the last day of pregnancy through the end of the month in which the 12th postpartum month falls, regardless of income changes, after which the annual renewal cycle resumes. Confirm your coverage dates on your Maryland Health Connection account.

Long-Term Care and Waiver Renewals

If you receive Medicaid long-term care, whether in a nursing facility or through the Community Options Waiver (also called the Home and Community-Based Options Waiver) or Community First Choice, your renewal has two independent parts, and both must stay current.

Financial redetermination. The local DSS or health department runs this on the annual cycle, including the asset test federal law requires through the Asset Verification System. It checks your countable assets against the $2,500 individual / $3,000 couple medically needy (non-MAGI) resource standard, your income against Maryland's medically needy income level ($350 a month for one, $392 for two), and, for a married couple, spousal impoverishment protections. A nursing-facility resident contributes nearly all monthly income to care, keeping a Personal Needs Allowance of $106 per month, among the highest in the country.

Level of care reassessment. Separately, the state reassesses whether you still meet the nursing-facility level of care your program requires. You can pass one review and fail the other. If the level-of-care finding ends your waiver, you may continue on standard aged, blind, and disabled Medicaid for non-long-term-care coverage if you otherwise qualify.

The Community Options Waiver carries a waitlist you join through Maryland Access Point (MAP) at 844-627-5465, so letting a renewal lapse can cost a slot that took months to reach.

Medicare Savings Program Renewals

Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), Qualified Individual (QI), and Qualified Disabled Working Individual (QDWI) eligibility is redetermined at least every 12 months on the non-MAGI cycle (a floor, not a ceiling), with Maryland attempting an ex parte renewal first. Ex parte works well here because Social Security retirement and disability income is in the federal data hub.

If you keep QMB, SLMB, or QI at renewal, you are automatically deemed eligible for the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (Extra Help), administered by the Social Security Administration. Losing your MSP ends that deemed status.

When Your Mail Is Returned

The federal rules that once required an agency to search for a new address before acting on mail that comes back as undeliverable were removed from the Code of Federal Regulations effective July 31, 2026. Federal law now says only that an agency may act without advance notice when mail returns with no forwarding address and your whereabouts are unknown, and that coverage must be reinstated if your whereabouts become known while you are still eligible. Maryland may still have its own returned-mail procedures, so contact Maryland Health Connection or your local DSS office if you think your renewal packet went to an old address.

Maryland is a managed-care state: most enrollees get care through the HealthChoice program. The plans a member may choose from are Aetna Better Health, CareFirst, Jai Medical Systems, Kaiser Permanente, Maryland Physicians Care, MedStar Family Choice, Priority Partners, UnitedHealthcare, and Wellpoint Maryland. To keep your renewal on track after a move:

  • Update your address on Maryland Health Connection immediately, or with your local DSS office for a long-term-care case
  • Update your address with your HealthChoice plan as well
  • File a change-of-address form with the U.S. Postal Service

Procedural vs. Eligibility-Based Termination

This distinction decides whether you have a 90-day reconsideration window (required for MAGI-based coverage; a state option otherwise) or must file a new application.

Termination type Definition Reconsideration available?
Procedural Failure to return the renewal form, missing signature, no documentation, or no response to a request for information Yes, 90 days from the termination date
Eligibility-based Maryland determined you are over income, over the asset limit, or no longer meet a categorical requirement No, file a new application (and appeal if you disagree)

Read your termination notice carefully. If it cites "failure to provide requested information" or "no response to renewal," you have the 90-day window. If it cites an income calculation, an asset limit, or a categorical change, your remedy is a new application or an appeal.

Your Fair Hearing Rights

If your renewal is denied or your coverage is ended, you can request a fair hearing through the Maryland Department of Health; it is conducted by the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). Federal law does not guarantee you 90 days to ask: under 42 CFR 431.221(d) it caps the request window at no more than 90 days from the date the notice of action is mailed, and a state may allow less than that. Maryland has set its own window at that 90-day maximum, so you must request a hearing within 90 days of the date on your notice. Go by the date printed on the notice.

Two Maryland-specific rules change how you act on this:

  • HealthChoice enrollees appeal to the plan first. If you get care through a HealthChoice managed-care organization, you must go through the plan's own appeal process before asking for a State fair hearing, and you must file that plan appeal within 60 days of the date on the denial notice.
  • To keep coverage during the appeal, act within 10 days. Federal law (42 CFR 431.230) continues your Medicaid pending the decision only if you request the hearing before the action takes effect. In Maryland, that means filing within 10 calendar days of the notice date, the postmark, or the effective date of action, whichever is later. If the state's action is later upheld, it may recover the cost of services provided solely because coverage continued.

The right to a fair hearing on an adverse Medicaid action is guaranteed by federal law (Section 1902(a)(3) of the Social Security Act and 42 CFR 431.220). You request a Maryland hearing through the MDH online Medicaid Request for Fair Hearing form, or by mail or fax to MDH Medicaid Appeals; OAH then sends the hearing notice. For the full process, see the Brevy guide to Maryland Medicaid appeals and fair hearings.

What Changes After 2026: Six-Month 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. One exemption exists: an Indian or Urban Indian, a California Indian, or anyone eligible for Indian Health Service care.

Maryland has adopted ACA Medicaid expansion, so this reaches a large share of its adult enrollees, the group covered to 133% FPL (138% gross after the standard income disregard). 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. The lesson is unchanged: ex parte catches more eligible enrollees without paperwork, but the renewal packet is still the failsafe.

Common Maryland Medicaid Renewal Mistakes

  1. Ignoring the renewal packet because the envelope looks like junk mail. Pull anything from Maryland Health Connection, MDH, or your local DSS out of the mail pile and open it.
  2. Assuming ex parte will handle everything. Ex parte clears only a portion of renewals; the rest need the manual packet back by the deadline printed on the form.
  3. Renewing a long-term-care case in the wrong place. MAGI renewals go through Maryland Health Connection, but aged, blind, disabled, and waiver cases renew through your local DSS or health department.
  4. Not knowing the 90-day reconsideration window exists. A procedural closure can be reversed by returning the renewal form within 90 days, without a new application (required for MAGI-based coverage; a state option otherwise).
  5. Missing the asset verification signature for an ABD or long-term-care renewal. Without your authorization, the state cannot run the required bank-record check and the renewal stalls.
  6. Assuming children lose coverage when a parent does. Children under 19 keep coverage for the full 12 months regardless of family income changes.
  7. Skipping the 10-day window to keep coverage during an appeal. Requesting a fair hearing within 10 calendar days of the notice continues benefits pending the decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do I have to renew Maryland Medicaid?

At least once every 12 months for most enrollees. Your renewal month is the same each year, tied to your initial approval date. Under 42 CFR 435.916 that 12 months is a minimum for aged, blind, disabled and long-term-care enrollees, so the state may review you sooner. One change is coming: the ACA expansion-adult group moves to a six-month cycle for renewals scheduled on or after January 1, 2027.

Where do I renew my Maryland Medicaid coverage?

It depends on your program. MAGI coverage (families, children, pregnant applicants, and expansion adults) renews through Maryland Health Connection. Aged, blind, disabled, long-term-care, and waiver coverage renews through your local department of social services or health department, the office that opened your case.

What happens if I miss my Maryland Medicaid renewal deadline?

Your coverage closes at the end of your renewal month. If the closure was procedural (you did not return the renewal form), 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 (required for MAGI-based coverage; a state option otherwise); if you are still eligible, your coverage is restored. Miss the 90 days and you must file a new application.

My child is on Medicaid. If my income goes up mid-year, does my child lose coverage?

No. Under federal continuous-eligibility rules, made nationally mandatory effective January 1, 2024, children under 19 have 12 months of continuous eligibility from the date of enrollment. Even if your income rises above the threshold, your child keeps Medicaid until the next annual renewal. Exceptions: aging out at 19, moving out of Maryland, death, voluntary disenrollment, or fraud.

I'm on disability Medicaid. Why does my renewal need bank statements?

Aged, blind, disabled, and long-term-care Medicaid have a medically needy (non-MAGI) asset limit ($2,500 for an individual, $3,000 for a couple), and federal law (Section 1940 of the Social Security Act) requires the state to verify your assets at renewal through an Asset Verification System, which automated income data cannot do on its own., The local office reviews recent bank, retirement, and life insurance records to confirm you remain under the limit, and the check requires your signed authorization.

Can I appeal if my Maryland Medicaid renewal is denied?

Yes. You have 90 days from the date on your notice to request a fair hearing through the Maryland Department of Health, heard by the Office of Administrative Hearings. If you get care through a HealthChoice plan, appeal to the plan first, within 60 days of the denial notice. To keep coverage while the appeal is pending, request the hearing within 10 calendar days of the notice.

Maryland Medicaid Renewal: Contacts and Resources

Maryland Health Connection Renew MAGI coverage online, upload documents, update your address, and check status. marylandhealthconnection.gov
Local Department of Social Services (DSS) Renews aged, blind, disabled, long-term-care, and waiver coverage; handles the asset review and spend-down. health.maryland.gov/mmcp
Maryland Access Point (MAP) Long-term-care options counseling and the Community Options Waiver registry. 844-627-5465
Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) Conducts Medicaid fair hearings after you file through MDH. 410-229-4100 oah.maryland.gov
MDH Medicaid Appeals Where you file a fair-hearing request (online form, mail, or fax). Fax: 410-333-5154

If you are unsure whether your renewal has been processed, log in to Maryland Health Connection to check a MAGI case, or call your local DSS for a long-term-care case. Brevy's guides to how to apply for Maryland Medicaid, Maryland Medicaid eligibility and income limits, and the Maryland Medicaid hub cover the broader eligibility picture, and the Medicaid renewal directory by state links the equivalent guide for every other state.

Learn More

MedicaidHow to Apply for Maryland MedicaidLearn how to apply for Maryland Medicaid through Maryland Health Connection or your local DSS. Covers spend-down, documents, timelines, and appeals. MedicaidMaryland Medicaid Eligibility and Income LimitsMaryland Medicaid has two income limits: $1,835/mo for adults under 65, with no asset test, and a $350 medically needy level plus spend-down for seniors. MedicaidMaryland Medicaid Appeals and Fair HearingsHow to appeal a Maryland Medicaid denial, keep your benefits during the appeal, exhaust a HealthChoice MCO appeal, and request an OAH fair hearing. MedicaidMaryland Medicaid HCBS WaiversMaryland Medicaid HCBS waivers pay for home and community care through the Community Options Waiver for adults who need a nursing-facility level of care. MedicaidMaryland Medicaid Long-Term Care and Nursing HomesHow Maryland Medicaid covers nursing home care in 2026: the $2,500 medically needy asset limit, the spend-down, share of cost, and spousal protections. MedicaidMaryland Medicaid: A Guide for Seniors and FamiliesMaryland Medicaid covers long-term care in 2026: the $2,500 medically needy asset limit, $106 PNA, spend-down, HCBS waivers, and how to apply through MDH.

Find personalized help renewing Maryland Medicaid 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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