Skip to agency navigation
Skip to main content

Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 
    Medicaid & CHIP Renewals

    Medicaid & CHIP Recipient Communications

    The Department of Human Services (DHS) will conducts Medicaid, also called Medical Assistance in Pennsylvania, and CHIP renewals for all recipients. These renewals allow DHS to determine whether or not recipients remain eligible for their coverage.

    Renewal communications:

    • Go directly to recipients, based on the address they have provided to DHS,
    • Help recipients complete their renewal when it is time to do so, and
    • To ensure recipients have all the information they need to maintain coverage through MA/CHIP/Pennie

    These communications will occur over a period of three to four months around the recipient’s renewal date.

    Do you need assistance?

    If you need assistance, learn who to contact for help at each step of the renewal process.

    Download the Renewal Contact Cheat Sheet

    Additional Medicaid & CHIP Renewals Information

    Available Communications

    90 Days before the Renewal Date

    CM 537

    The CM 537 is a flyer sent to Medical Assistance (MA) and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) recipients 90 days ahead of their renewal. This flyer encourages the household to report relevant changes and to sign up to receive electronic communications (texts and emails) from DHS. Additionally, if individuals sign up to receive texts and emails, they will have an added layer of communication to remind them when important action needs to be taken on their case.

    Download PDF: English | Spanish

     

    MA & CHIP Recipient Email 1

    Email 1 is an email sent to MA and CHIP recipients 90 days ahead of their renewal. This email asks recipients to report any updates to their contact information with DHS.

    Download PDF: English | Spanish

    60-30 Days Before the Renewal Date

    MA & CHIP Recipient Email 2

    Email 2 is an email that will be sent to all MA and CHIP recipients after the CM 537 but before they receive their renewal packet. This email is a call to action for recipients to complete their renewal and includes instructions on the several ways to complete their renewal.

    Download: English PDF  |  Spanish PDF

     

    30 Days Before Renewal Date (Month before Renewal Date)

    MA & CHIP Recipient Renewal Packet

    The renewal packet is an envelope that contains the renewal and associated forms. The renewal packet and any verifications should be returned to the county assistance office (CAO) or submitted online by the due date listed within the packet.

    Text Nudge 1

    Text Nudge 1 is a text message that lets MA and CHIP recipients know that their renewal has been mailed and requires action.

    English Text: "KEEP your benefits! Your renewal packet has been mailed to you and will take several days to arrive in the mail. Log in to your MyCOMPASS account NOW to submit your renewal TODAY at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS or by phone at 1-866-550-4355."

    Text Nudge 2

    Text Nudge 2 is a text message that reminds MA and CHIP recipients that their renewal is due in 5 days.

    English Text: "KEEP your benefits! Your renewal is due in 5 days. If you already submitted your renewal and required verifications, please disregard this message. If you still need to submit, log in to your MyCOMPASS account NOW to submit TODAY at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS or by phone at 1-866-550-4355."

    After MA Renewal Has Been Processed

    MA & CHIP Recipient Benefit Notice

    The benefit notice is an official notice letting MA and CHIP recipients know the eligibility result of their processed renewal. If individuals in a household are ineligible for MA and/or CHIP and all required information was used to process the renewal, they will receive a referral to Pennie, the official state marketplace for health insurance options. Information about this referral will be included in a separate letter included with the notice. If a household was ineligible because they failed to return the renewal or other necessary documentation, they will not receive a referral to Pennie. These individuals will receive MA and CHIP Recipient Targeted Mailing 2 and the Pennie Mailing below.

    Pennie Mailing

    Pennie will be sending a letter to recipients in which MA or CHIP closed due to failure to submit the renewal or required verifications by the due date. The Pennie Mailing is an educational mailing informing recipients that Pennie is a source for affordable medical coverage. If an individual submits an application to Pennie for coverage and their application reflects eligibility for MA or CHIP, the application will be forwarded to DHS for processing as a part of our open-door application process.

    Special Communications

    Verification Reminder Text Message

    The verification reminder text message informs recipient that their PA 253 verification(s) are due in five days. It is sent five days prior to the verification alert reaching day zero.

    English Text: KEEP your benefits! A Pending Verification Form (PA 253) was sent to you and requested verifications are due in 5 days. If you still need to submit, log in to your MyCOMPASS account at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS or your MyCOMPASS PA Mobile App to upload pictures and/or scan your verifications. You can also mail verifications to your CAO in the pre-paid envelope.