How to renew your Kentucky Medicaid coverage
Last verified: June 2026
Renewal notices come from Kentucky Medicaid
Kentucky renews Medicaid through kynect — keep your contact information updated to avoid procedural terminations
How Kentucky Medicaid renewal works
Kentucky renews Medicaid coverage annually. Before your renewal date, the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) reviews your eligibility using existing data — a process called ex parte renewal. If DCBS can confirm your eligibility from wage records, Social Security data, or other state databases, your coverage renews automatically.
If ex parte renewal is not possible, DCBS sends a renewal packet to your address on file. You must respond — complete the form, return it with any updated documents, and meet the deadline — to continue your coverage. Missing the deadline results in termination.
Per the Kentucky DMS KCHIP renewal documents from 2025, children's continuous coverage flexibility that had been in place since COVID ended June 30, 2025. Children's annual renewals resumed starting with July 2025 renewal dates. Families should respond to all renewal notices for both adult and children's coverage.
How to renew your Kentucky Medicaid coverage
- Online via kynect at kynect.ky.gov — log in to your account and respond to the renewal notice
- By phone — call 1-855-459-6328 to speak with a kynect representative about your renewal
- At your local DCBS office — bring your renewal form and any updated income documentation
- By mail — complete the renewal form and return it to the DCBS address listed on the form
Changes to report during the year
Kentucky requires Medicaid members to report certain changes. Report within 10 days of when the change occurs:
- Change of address — update immediately in kynect or at your DCBS office
- Income change — starting or stopping employment, change in wages, new income source
- Household size change — new child, household members moving in or out, marriage, divorce
- Gaining or losing other health insurance
- Change in immigration status
- Pregnancy (new eligibility category may apply)
Report changes through kynect.ky.gov, by calling 1-855-459-6328, by emailing DFS.Medicaid@ky.gov, or at your local DCBS office.
Kentucky's unwinding experience and what it means now
Kentucky saw moderate coverage losses during the 2023–2024 Medicaid unwinding period — lower than many non-expansion states but still significant in total numbers. Many terminations during that period were procedural, affecting people who were still eligible but could not be reached by renewal notices.
If you lost Kentucky Medicaid coverage during 2023 or 2024 and have not reapplied, do so now at kynect.ky.gov. Your income and household situation may still qualify you for coverage.
Your right to appeal if coverage is terminated
If Kentucky Medicaid terminates your coverage, you will receive a notice with the reason and your appeal rights. Request a fair hearing within 30 days of the notice date. If you appeal before your coverage ends and submit the request in time, you may be entitled to "aid paid pending" — continued benefits while your appeal is reviewed. Contact the Kentucky Legal Aid office in your area (klaid.org) if you need help with a Medicaid appeal.
Post-pandemic coverage losses: the 2023–2024 unwinding
How to complete your renewal
When Kentucky Medicaid sends a renewal notice, here's what to do:
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1
Read the notice carefully
Identify exactly what the agency is asking for and the deadline to respond. Renewal packets may ask you to confirm your current income, household size, or address.
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2
Update your information
If anything has changed — income, address, phone number, household members — report it now. Outdated contact information is the leading cause of missed renewal notices.
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3
Submit the renewal online, by phone, or by mail
Kentucky Medicaid's online portal is typically the fastest way to complete a renewal. You may also call the enrollment line or mail in your completed packet.
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4
Confirm your coverage continued
After submitting, confirm you receive a notice that coverage was renewed. If you don't hear back within a few weeks, call Kentucky Medicaid to verify your status.
If your renewal is denied
A denial must state the reason in writing and explain your right to appeal. You have 90 days from the date of the notice to request a fair hearing. File the appeal quickly — if you appeal before your coverage ends, you may be able to continue coverage during the appeal period, though this depends on timing and the reason for denial.
Common renewal denials include: income that increased above the threshold, failure to respond to the renewal packet, a change in household size that affects eligibility, or immigration status questions. Some of these can be addressed by reapplying with updated information rather than appealing.
Contact Kentucky Medicaid within the 90-day window. A reconsideration or new application filed promptly can often restore coverage retroactively to the date it was lost.
Keeping your account information up to date
The most effective way to avoid renewal problems is to report changes promptly. Federal rules require Medicaid enrollees to report changes that may affect eligibility within a specified period — typically 10 to 30 days depending on the state.
Changes to report: new job or income change, move to a new address, change in household size (new baby, someone moves in or out), gaining or losing other health coverage. Contact Kentucky Medicaid or update your information through the online portal at https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dms.