HJAR Jul/Aug 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JUL / AUG 2023 45 Keith Metz Deputy Chief of Communications Office of Communications and Community Engagement Arkansas Department of Human Services any local DHS county office in person. Every worker in every DHS office in the state can access your patients’ accounts and accept their information. Nomatter how your clients choose to sub- mit the needed information to redetermine their eligibility, DHS will process their ap- plications and let them know by mail if they are eligible for coverage. There are other scenarios in which your clients may lose coverage and need your help. The following examples, and what to do to get help, are explained in more detail on our Renew Arkansas website at ar.gov/renew. Here is a summary: • If your patients lost coverage but believe that they remain eligible, they have the right to appeal and can do so easiest online. • If your patients lost coverage because they are now age 65 or older, they can access coverage through Medicare. • If your patients lost their Medicaid- funded healthcare because their in- come increased and they are no longer eligible, they may be able to get health insurance through their employer or through the federal insurance market- place. Note: If your patients have access to an employer-sponsored health plan, their loss of Medicaid coverage will trig- ger a special enrollment period that will allow them to enroll in the employer- sponsored plan. This window is only required to be 60 days, so encourage them to act quickly. DHS has compiled a resource guide to help those who have lost coverage find available free or low-cost services. Your patients can visit our RenewArkansas website for a guide listing statewide resources including free and sliding scale basedmedical clinics, assistance with prescription payments, and community resources supplying transportation needs. If your patients have more questions, they can visit ar.gov/renew to learn more. They can also call the DHS call center at 855-372- 1084 to ask questions. If they don’t want to speak on the phone or possibly wait on hold, they can send in questions easily and quickly at ar.gov/accessanywhere. And, as always, your patients can call or visit any local DHS county office. n If your patients lost coverage because they failed to provide requested information from the renewal packets they received in the mail, they have options to still have their eligibility determined. Some patients will have 30 days to provide the needed information after their closing date if they qualified for Medicaid un- der long-term services and supports eligibil- ity rules, while others will have 90 days after the closing date if they qualified for Medicaid under modified adjusted gross income, or MAGI, eligibility rules. If patients have recently lost coverage be- cause they did not send in their information, the easiest way to send it in is by going to access.arkansas.gov and signing into their ac- count or by creating a new account if needed. They can send in their information by follow- ing the on-screen guidance to upload and submit files to DHS electronically. Your patients can also send in the needed information by mail or fax. Please advise your patients to write their full name and date of birth on each item they give to us. To find the mailing address and fax number, you or your patients can visit ar.gov/renew. Your patients can also bring their information into “No matter how your clients choose to submit the needed information to redetermine their eligibility, DHS will process their applications and let them know by mail if they are eligible for coverage.”