How to renew your Pennsylvania Medical Assistance coverage

Last verified: June 2026

How Pennsylvania Medical Assistance renewals work

Medical Assistance coverage must be renewed annually. Pennsylvania's Office of Income Maintenance (OIM) administers and processes renewals. Your local County Assistance Office makes the eligibility determination at renewal — the same office that processed your original application.

DHS begins sending renewal notices roughly 90 days before your renewal date. If you have a My COMPASS Account, you can check your renewal date at any time by logging in at compass.dhs.pa.gov. You can also sign up for email and text message alerts through COMPASS so you receive reminders before your renewal is due.

Everyone's renewal date is different — it is based on when you were originally approved, not on a fixed calendar month. Do not assume your coverage renews automatically.

Ex parte renewal: when DHS renews your coverage without a form

Pennsylvania uses an ex parte (administrative) renewal process for enrollees whose income can be verified through data sources DHS already has access to — such as Social Security Administration records, wage data, and tax information. If DHS can verify your ongoing eligibility using these sources, your coverage may be renewed without you having to submit a paper form.

Even if you are renewed ex parte, you will still receive a notice in the mail. Read any notice from DHS carefully — it may request additional information or confirm your renewal. If a notice asks you to respond and you do not, your coverage may be terminated even if you remain eligible.

Four ways to complete your Medical Assistance renewal

What to have ready when you renew

• Current proof of income: recent pay stubs, benefit award letters (Social Security, SSDI, unemployment), or self-employment records
• Proof of current Pennsylvania residency if your address has changed
• Updated household information: anyone who moved in or out since your last renewal
• Current insurance information if any household member gained or lost other coverage
• Social Security numbers for all household members

Missed your renewal deadline? You still have 90 days

If you do not complete your renewal by the due date, your Medical Assistance coverage will end. But Pennsylvania gives you a 90-day window after your coverage ends to still submit your renewal. If you submit within those 90 days and are still eligible, your coverage will be reopened with no gap — meaning retroactive coverage from the date it was terminated.

After the 90-day window closes, you would need to submit a new application rather than a renewal. Do not wait — contact DHS or your CAO as soon as possible if you missed a deadline.

The post-pandemic unwinding period in Pennsylvania

During the COVID-19 public health emergency (March 2020 through March 2023), states were prohibited from terminating Medicaid coverage. When the continuous enrollment protection ended in April 2023, Pennsylvania began processing a backlog of renewals — a period known nationally as the "unwinding." Pennsylvania processed renewals for its entire Medical Assistance caseload over approximately 12 months, disenrolling individuals who no longer qualified or who could not be reached for renewal information.

Pennsylvania used its pink envelope outreach and the COMPASS digital reminder system to reach as many enrollees as possible during the unwinding period. Per KFF tracking, Pennsylvania's disenrollment rate during unwinding was within the national range — a significant portion of disenrollments were for procedural reasons (failure to return renewal paperwork) rather than income ineligibility.

If you lost coverage during the 2023–2024 unwinding period and believe you were still eligible, you can reapply through COMPASS at any time.

Step-by-step: completing your Pennsylvania Medical Assistance renewal

1. 1

   Check your renewal date in COMPASS

   Log into your My COMPASS Account at compass.dhs.pa.gov to see your renewal due date. You can also sign up for email and text reminders so you don't miss the deadline.

2. 2

   Watch for the pink DHS envelope (90 days before your renewal date)

   DHS begins sending renewal packets roughly 90 days before your coverage anniversary. The large pink envelope contains your renewal forms. Set it aside — do not discard it.

3. 3

   Check whether ex parte renewal was completed

   DHS first attempts to verify your eligibility using electronic data sources (SSA, IRS, state wage records). If successful, your coverage renews automatically and the notice confirms this — no further action needed.

4. 4

   Complete the renewal form if one was sent

   Submit online (compass.dhs.pa.gov or myCOMPASS PA app), by phone at 1-866-550-4355, by mail using the pink envelope's return envelope, or in person at your CAO. Submit up to 60 days before your renewal due date — you do not need to wait.

5. 5

   Confirm coverage continued

   Check your renewal status at trackmybenefits.pa.gov or by logging into COMPASS. If you don't receive a renewal confirmation before your due date, contact DHS at 1-877-395-8930.

What to have ready for renewal

• Current mailing address — update in COMPASS before your renewal date if you have moved
• Recent income documentation — pay stubs, benefit award letters (SSA, SSDI, unemployment), or self-employment records
• Household composition updates — anyone who moved in or out, new baby, or someone passed away
• Current insurance information if any household member gained employer health coverage
• Social Security numbers for all household members
• Phone number where DHS can reach you — your CAO may need to ask questions by phone

Missed the deadline? Pennsylvania gives you 90 more days

If your coverage ends because you missed the renewal deadline, you have a 90-day window to submit your renewal and have coverage reopened retroactively — with no gap in coverage. After the 90-day window, you must submit a new application rather than a renewal.

If your renewal is denied, the notice will explain the reason and your right to a fair hearing. You have 30 days from the date of the notice to request a fair hearing. Requesting within 10 days preserves your current benefits while the hearing is pending ("aid pending"). Call 1-877-395-8930 or contact your CAO to request a hearing.