(1) For all Washington apple health (WAH) programs, the following applies:
(a) You are required to complete a renewal of eligibility at least every 12 months with the following exceptions:
(i) If you are eligible for WAH medically needy with spenddown, then you must complete a new application at the end of each three- or six-month base period;
(ii) If you are eligible for WAH alien emergency medical, then you are certified for a specific period of time to cover emergency inpatient hospitalization costs only (see WAC
182-507-0115(8));
(iii) If you are eligible for WAH refugee coverage, you must complete a renewal of eligibility after 12 months; or
(iv) If you are a child on apple health for kids without premiums, your first renewal is due the month of your sixth birthday.
(b) You may complete renewals online, by phone, or by paper application that you mail or fax to us (the agency or its designee).
(c) If your WAH is renewed, we decide the certification period according to WAC
182-504-0015.
(d) We review all eligibility factors subject to change during the renewal process.
(e) We redetermine eligibility as described in WAC
182-504-0125 and send you written notice as described in WAC
182-518-0005 before WAH is terminated.
(f) If you need help meeting the requirements of this section, we provide equal access services as described in WAC
182-503-0120.
(2) For programs based on modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) as described in WAC
182-503-0510:
(a) Sixty days prior to the end of the certification period:
(i) When information from electronic sources shows income is reasonably compatible (as defined in WAC
182-500-0095), we administratively renew your coverage (as defined in WAC
182-500-0010) for a new certification period and send you a notice of renewal with the information used. You are required to inform us if any of the information we used is wrong.
(ii) If we are unable to complete an administrative renewal (as defined in WAC
182-500-0010), you must give us a signed renewal in order for us to decide if you will continue to get WAH coverage beyond the current certification period.
(iii) We follow the requirements described in WAC
182-518-0015 to request any additional information needed to complete the renewal process or to terminate coverage for failure to renew.
(b) If your WAH coverage is terminated because you did not renew, you have 90 days from the termination date to give us a completed renewal. If we decide you are still eligible to get WAH coverage, we will restore your WAH without a gap in coverage.
(3) For non-MAGI based programs (as described in WAC
182-503-0510):
(a) Forty-five days prior to the end of the certification period, we send notice with a renewal form. You must renew before the end of the certification period by either calling the department of social and health services at the number listed on the form to renew by telephone, renew online at
www.washingtonconnection.org, or mailing or delivering to the department of social and health services a signed renewal form with the information required by WAC
182-503-0005.
(b) We follow the requirements in WAC
182-518-0015 to request any additional information needed to complete the renewal process or to terminate coverage for failure to renew.
(c) To complete your renewal, you must give us all the other information requested on the application that is needed to determine your eligibility.
(d) If you are terminated for failure to renew, you have 30 days from the termination date to submit a completed renewal. If still eligible, we will restore your WAH without a gap in coverage.
(4) If we determine that you are not eligible for renewal of your WAH coverage, we:
(a) Consider your eligibility for all other WAH programs before ending your WAH coverage; and
(b) Coordinate with the health benefit exchange any request for information that is necessary to determine your eligibility for:
(i) Other WAH programs; and
(ii) With respect to qualified health plans, health insurance premium tax credits (as defined in WAC
182-500-0045) and cost-sharing reductions (as defined in WAC
182-500-0020).
(5) We reconsider our decision that you are not eligible for WAH coverage without a new application from you when:
(a) We receive the information that we need to decide if you are eligible within 30 days of the date on the termination notice; or
(b) You request a hearing within 90 days of the date on the renewal denial letter and an administrative law judge (ALJ) or HCA review judge decides our decision was wrong (per chapter
182-526 WAC).
(6) If you disagree with our decision, you can ask for a hearing. If we decided that you are not eligible for renewal because we do not have enough information, the ALJ will consider the information we already have and anymore information you give us. The ALJ does not consider the previous absence of information or failure to respond in determining if you are eligible.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
41.05.021,
41.05.160, and 2023 c 475 § 211(36). WSR 23-23-057, § 182-504-0035, filed 11/8/23, effective 12/9/23. Statutory Authority: RCW
41.05.021,
41.05.160, Public Law 111-148, 42 C.F.R. § 431, 435, and 457, and 45 C.F.R. § 155. WSR 14-16-052, § 182-504-0035, filed 7/29/14, effective 8/29/14.]