You must renew your Virginia Medicaid coverage every year to keep your benefits. This process was temporarily on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2023, Virginia returned to the normal process of reviewing members’ health coverage to make sure they still qualify.
Your coverage may renew without you doing anything. If so, you will receive a letter in the mail letting you know your health care coverage will continue.
If Medicaid does not have all information needed to renew your benefits, you will get a renewal form or a checklist to complete and return by a certain date. Please make sure Optima Health has your updated contact information so we can reach you. Members who do not complete the renewal form or checklist will not be eligible to keep their Medicaid health coverage.
Take these steps to make sure you stay covered.
Review
Review information from the Department of Medical Assistance Services (Virginia Medicaid) that you get by mail, email, or text.
- read carefully, all official mail, email, and texts about renewals from Virginia Medicaid and Optima Health
- sign up for email and text updates at public.govdelivery.com/accounts/VADMAS/subscriber/new
- follow Cover Virginia on social media:
Respond
Respond when you get official notices from Virginia Medicaid, Social Services, Cover Virginia, and Optima Health.
- make sure Optima Health and Cover Virginia have your most recent mailing address, phone number, and email
- respond to official notices by the given due date
Renew
Renew your coverage by replying to the form or checklist you receive from Virginia Medicaid by the due date. Answer all questions, gather all information, and make any changes to the enclosed form.
Online
Submit the completed form or checklist and required documents online at CommonHelp, using the case number and client ID on your form to connect your case to your account. Choose "Renew Benefits."
Phone
Call Cover Virginia at 1-855-242-8282 (TTY: 1-888-221-1590) to submit your renewal information. Have the required information ready to give over the phone.
Mail the completed form or checklist and required documents to the address listed on the form or checklist by the due date. You will receive a prepaid envelope to use.
Hand Deliver
Take the completed form or checklist and required documents to your local Department of Social Services.
Watch and Learn About Medicaid Renewals
In this brief on-demand webinar video, Optima Health explains the Medicaid Renewal process. You’ll also hear about the resources available to help you.
Rejoining Medicaid After Your Coverage Ends
If you missed your chance to renew, you can return your information within 3 months.
If Virginia Medicaid doesn’t receive your form or checklist, your benefits will end for “failure to renew.” You will get a letter letting you know when your benefits will end. However, you will have 3 months after your coverage ends to return the form or checklist to Virginia Medicaid. You don’t have to reapply!
After the 3 months, you will need to reapply if you would like to see if you might be eligible for Medicaid coverage again.
It is very important that you return your paperwork, even if you think you may no longer qualify for Medicaid, for two reasons:
- you may be eligible for coverage you may be unaware of or other programs that provide limited coverage
- Virginia Medicaid may send your information to the Federal Health Care Marketplace to check if you are eligible for other low-cost coverage or the Advanced Premium Tax Credits
Other Optima Health Coverage Options
If you no longer qualify for Medicaid, you can stay with Optima Health in a new plan type. A Special Enrollment Period is offered to individuals who lose Medicaid coverage. It allows you to enroll in a health plan through the Federal Marketplace within 60 days of losing coverage. Optima Health offers Individual & Family health plans that can help lower the cost of your health insurance with a Marketplace plan. Talk to one of our Personal Plan Advisors at 1-855-434-3253 (TTY: 711).
Questions?
If you have questions about what you need to do to keep your Medicaid coverage, need help updating your contact information, or need language assistance services or large print, call Cover Virginia at 1-855-242-8282 (TTY: 1-888-221-1590) or email us at covervirginia@dmas.virginia.gov.
Have questions about your coverage with Optima Health? Call 1-833-261-2367 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.