Every Medicaid user must renew their eligibility. Here’s how to do it:

If you are enrolled in Medicaid, you need to update your contact and personal information with the Texas Health & Human Services Commission — and the sooner, the better.

A COVID-19-era rule that prohibited states from disenrolling people from Medicaid came to an end Friday, meaning that the Texas Health & Human Services Commission will begin the process of reevaluating whether the state’s nearly 6 million Medicaid recipients still qualify for the low-income insurance program.

Researchers estimate that as many as 1.3 million Texans could get kicked off Medicaid as eligibility for the program is recalibrated.

The Texas Health & Human Services Commission, which serves as the state arm of the jointly run state and federal Medicaid program, will stagger redeterminations over multiple months and prioritize redeterminations for people most likely to no longer qualify for the insurance, deputy chief press officer José Andrés Araiza said in an email.

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Changes in Medicaid coverage, in addition to the end of other benefits afforded by the COVID-19 public health emergency declarations, like temporary increases in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program allotments, could catch people by surprise, said Steve Love, president and CEO of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council.

“With the end of additional SNAP benefits and the Medicaid coverage redetermination, you’re really throwing a lot at people who may not have access to broadband or may have moved,” Love said.

If you are currently enrolled in Medicaid, here’s what you need to know as the renewal process begins:

Update your contact information

HHSC will mail renewal packets to Medicaid recipients. To make sure the department has your most up-to-date contact information, visit YourTexasBenefits.com or call 211, selecting option 2.

Be on the lookout for renewal notices

Medicaid renewal notices will be mailed in yellow envelopes that say “Action Required” in red. If you opted for paperless alerts, renewal notices will also be sent electronically through your online Your Texas Benefits account.

It’s important to respond to renewal notices as soon as possible so there is no interruption in your Medicaid coverage during the redetermination process, Araiza said. Renewal notices can be returned by mail; by fax; through YourTexasBenefits.com; by calling 211 and choosing option 2; or by visiting a local HHSC office or community partner, which can be found here.

HHSC will let you know if you’re still Medicaid eligible

After you return your renewal notice paperwork, HHSC will evaluate your information to see if you still qualify for the insurance program and will send notice that says your Medicaid eligibility is or is not renewed.

If you’re not Medicaid eligible, there may be other options

During the Medicaid redetermination process, HHSC will also check to see if you qualify for other health care programs, like the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Health Texas Women. HHSC will send notice if you are ineligible for Medicaid and are moved to a different health care program.

If HHSC determines you’re ineligible for any of their health care coverage programs, your application will be sent automatically to the federal Health Insurance Marketplace. You can learn more about health care coverage options at HealthCare.gov or by calling 800-318-2596.

You may be able to appeal your Medicaid decision

If you disagree with a Medicaid case decision, you may be able to appeal by writing to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, P.O. Box 149027, Austin, TX 78714-9027; Calling 211 and choosing option 2; or visiting a local HHSC benefit office.