How Do I Know If I Lost My Medicaid Coverage?

If you depend on Medicaid, the thought of losing it is terrifying. For many families, Medicaid is the only way they can afford prescriptions, doctor visits, or hospital care. Recent changes under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) have created new rules for eligibility checks, and millions of people across the country are at risk of being dropped. In Ohio alone, nearly eight million people could be affected.

What makes this especially difficult is that people often do not realize they lost coverage until the moment they need it. Imagine standing at the pharmacy counter with a prescription for your child, only to hear that your insurance card no longer works. Or showing up at your doctor’s office and being told your plan is inactive. That shock leaves many patients embarrassed, confused, and frightened about what comes next.

The reason this is happening is not always because people earn too much. OBBB introduced quarterly eligibility checks and stricter reporting requirements. Something as simple as a missed letter, a change of address, or a clerical error can cause someone to be flagged as “ineligible.” I hear from families who are still well within the income limits but were cut off because the state never received a form.

Take Tanya, for example. She lives in Dayton and relies on Medicaid for her son’s asthma medication. When she went to refill his inhaler, the pharmacy told her the claim was denied. After a panicked call to the Medicaid office, she found out her renewal paperwork had been mailed to her old address. Her income had not changed, and she was still eligible. Once she updated her information and reapplied, her coverage was reinstated and the pharmacy was able to re-bill.

If this happens to you, the most important thing is not to panic. Many people who lose Medicaid can get it back once the paperwork is corrected. Here are the key steps to take:

- Call your state Medicaid office and ask: “Is my coverage still active?”
- If they say it ended, ask: “Why was it closed?” and write down the answer.
- If it was due to paperwork, update your information immediately and resubmit.
- Ask whether your state allows retroactive coverage, which can sometimes backdate your insurance up to three months.

Sometimes, even after an appeal, you may not qualify anymore. That does not mean you are left without care. Marketplace health plans may be an option, especially with subsidies that lower the monthly premium. Many states, including Ohio, expand coverage for children or pregnant women under CHIP. Community health centers and nonprofit clinics can offer sliding-scale services. And nonprofit hospitals are still required to provide financial assistance policies, which may reduce your bill while you work to get coverage again.

The bottom line is this: if you suspect you lost your Medicaid coverage because of OBBB, you are not alone. Millions of people are in the same position. The key is to act quickly, confirm your status, and correct any paperwork errors. And if you cannot get Medicaid reinstated, there are still other state and community programs to help bridge the gap.

👉 Need help while you sort it out? Download my free Charity Care Secrets Cheat Sheet, which shows you how to access hospital financial assistance programs step by step.

👉 Want the full step-by-step guide? Get the Lost Medicaid Coverage Toolkit, available inside the Hospital Bill Survival Guide Toolkit Bundle.