How to renew your Louisiana Medicaid coverage

Last verified: June 2026

Renewal notices come from Louisiana Medicaid

Always respond to official renewal notices from Louisiana Medicaid. Missing a renewal deadline is the most common reason people lose Medicaid coverage — even when they're still eligible.

Louisiana had significant coverage losses during the 2023–2024 Medicaid unwinding

Louisiana faced challenges during the pandemic unwinding period that began in April 2023. The state disenrolled a significant number of members — many of whom were still eligible but lost coverage through procedural issues, particularly outdated contact information. If you lost Healthy Louisiana coverage during the unwinding period, reapply at benefitsgateway.org. You may still qualify.

How Healthy Louisiana renewal works

Healthy Louisiana coverage is renewed annually. LDH and DCFS review your eligibility before your renewal date and will either renew your coverage automatically (ex parte renewal) or send you a renewal form to complete.

Louisiana conducts ex parte renewal by checking income and household data already available in state and federal databases — including wage records from the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Social Security Administration data, and other sources. If your eligibility can be confirmed without additional information from you, your coverage is renewed and you receive a notice.

If your eligibility cannot be confirmed ex parte, DCFS will mail a renewal packet to your address on file. You must respond within 30 days to maintain coverage. Keeping your address current in the system is critical — renewal notices sent to an old address often result in coverage loss even for people who are still eligible.

How to renew your Healthy Louisiana coverage

Online at benefitsgateway.org — log into your account, review your information, and respond to the renewal
By phone — call 1-888-342-6207 to speak with a Healthy Louisiana representative
In person at your local DCFS office — bring proof of income and any updated household information
By mail — complete and return the renewal form sent to you with any required documents

Changes to report during the year

Louisiana requires Healthy Louisiana members to report changes that may affect eligibility. Report the following within 10 days of when the change occurs:

Address change — update your address in benefitsgateway.org or with DCFS immediately
Income change — starting or stopping employment, change in wages, new income source
Household size change — new family member, someone moving in or out, marriage, divorce
Gaining or losing other health insurance
Change in pregnancy status
Change in immigration status for any household member

Report changes online at benefitsgateway.org, by phone at 1-888-342-6207, or at your local DCFS office.

If your coverage ends — appeals and reapplication

If Healthy Louisiana terminates your coverage, you have the right to a fair hearing (appeal). Request the appeal in writing within 30 days of the termination notice. If you request an appeal before your coverage ends and your coverage was active at the time, you may be entitled to continued benefits while the appeal is pending — this is called "aid paid pending" appeal status.

Legal aid organizations in Louisiana can help with appeals. Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (slls.org) and Acadiana Legal Services (acadianals.org) represent low-income clients in Medicaid appeals at no cost.

Post-pandemic coverage losses: the 2023–2024 unwinding

During the COVID-19 public health emergency (March 2020 through March 2023), federal law prohibited states from removing people from Medicaid. When that protection ended, states conducted a mass redetermination of all enrolled members — known as the "unwinding." Millions of people lost coverage nationally between April 2023 and late 2024, many due to administrative reasons like outdated addresses rather than actual ineligibility. If you lost Louisiana Medicaid during that period without receiving a renewal notice, you may still be eligible. Contact Louisiana Medicaid to reapply.

How to complete your renewal

When Louisiana Medicaid sends a renewal notice, here's what to do:

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.
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.
3

Submit the renewal online, by phone, or by mail

Louisiana 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.
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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana Medicaid or update your information through the online portal at https://ldh.la.gov/medicaid.