Benefits & Coverage
Keeping Your Benefits
What Maryland’s 2027 Medicaid and SNAP changes mean, and how Advocate helps clients keep the coverage and benefits they depend on.
Maryland Medicaid Is Changing in 2027
A federal law passed in 2025 (H.R. 1) is changing the rules for some Maryland Medicaid members. Most of the 1.5 million Marylanders covered by Medicaid will see no change. But starting January 1, 2027, some adults ages 19 to 64 will need to show work or other approved activities and renew their coverage more often. Maryland estimates the new requirements could apply to up to 320,000 members.
Many people living with a serious mental health condition may be exempt. Even so, the biggest risk for most people is paperwork: a missed letter or an outdated address can end coverage for someone who still qualifies. This page explains what is changing and how to stay covered.
What Is Changing
| When | What changes | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2026 | Some lawfully present non-citizens (including refugees and asylees) no longer qualify for Medicaid | Certain non-citizens |
| January 1, 2027 | Work and community engagement requirement: each month, earn at least $580, attend school at least half-time, or complete 80 hours of work, job training, school, or volunteering | Some adults ages 19–64 in the Medicaid expansion group |
| January 1, 2027 | Renewal every 6 months instead of once a year | Some adults ages 19–64; Maryland will notify you if this applies to you |
| January 1, 2027 | Less retroactive (back-dated) coverage for new applications | New applicants |
When you renew in 2027, you may need to show you met the requirement for at least one recent month. Maryland will first try to confirm this with data it already has, and will contact you by letter or email if it needs more information.
Who May Be Exempt
You may not have to meet the work requirement if, for example, you:
- Have a mental health condition, substance use disorder, physical disability, or serious or complex medical condition that limits your ability to work
- Have Medicare, or are under 19 or 65 or older
- Are pregnant or recently gave birth
- Care for a child under 14 or a person with a disability
- Are a disabled veteran, a former foster youth under 26, or American Indian or Alaska Native
- Already meet SNAP or TANF work rules
- Were recently in a hospital or treatment facility, or recently released from jail or prison
Federal rules say a diagnosis alone is not enough: the condition must significantly affect your ability to meet the requirement. Staying connected to your treatment providers helps document this. Use Maryland Health Connection’s Medicaid Check-In to see whether the new rules apply to you.
What to Do Now
- Update your contact information (address, phone, email) with Maryland Health Connection right away, and again whenever it changes.
- Check whether the rules apply to you using Medicaid Check-In.
- Open every letter and email from Maryland Health Connection, Maryland Medicaid, and the Department of Human Services.
- Respond by the deadline. If the state cannot confirm you meet the rules, you will get a notice and time to respond before coverage ends.
- Report changes in income or household within 10 days.
- Keep records of pay stubs, school enrollment, volunteer hours, and medical appointments.
Where to Apply, Renew, and Get Help
| What you need | Where to go | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Apply for Medicaid | Maryland Health Connection | 1-855-642-8572 |
| See if the new rules apply to you | Medicaid Check-In | 1-855-642-8572 |
| Renew Medicaid or report a change | Maryland Medicaid: Renew and Report Changes | 1-855-642-8572 |
| Questions about your health plan | Your managed care organization (number on your member card) or the HealthChoice Help Line | 1-800-284-4510 |
| Apply for or renew SNAP, cash, or energy assistance | MarylandBenefits.gov | 1-800-332-6347 |
| SNAP rule changes | Maryland DHS: Important Changes to SNAP | 1-800-332-6347 |
| Social Security disability benefits (SSI/SSDI) | Social Security Administration | 1-800-772-1213 |
| Local help with food, housing, and utilities | 211 Maryland | Dial 2-1-1 |
SNAP Is Changing Too
Work rules for SNAP (food assistance) now apply to more Marylanders. Adults ages 18 to 64 without dependent children under 14 may need to work, train, or volunteer at least 80 hours a month to keep benefits beyond three months in a three-year period. Exemptions that previously covered veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and young adults who aged out of foster care have ended. People who are physically or mentally unable to work can still be exempt, but may need documentation.
If you receive SNAP, read every notice from the Department of Human Services, keep your caseworker informed, and check MarylandBenefits.gov for your status.
How Advocate Helps Clients Keep Their Benefits
Losing Medicaid, SNAP, or other benefits can undo months of progress. That is why helping clients stay connected to their benefits is part of everyday psychiatric rehabilitation at Advocate. With each client’s permission, our team can:
- Help keep contact information current with Maryland Health Connection and the Department of Human Services
- Track renewal dates and deadlines so nothing is missed
- Read notices together and explain what they ask for
- Help gather documents such as pay stubs, school records, and volunteer hours
- Use online tools like Medicaid Check-In and MarylandBenefits.gov side by side with clients
- Coordinate with treatment providers when documentation of a health condition is needed
- Connect clients with navigators and other community resources for additional help
Advocate assists clients with applications and renewals, but clients submit them themselves. You stay in control of your benefits, and we make sure you are not doing it alone.
For Referral Sources
Your patients’ coverage is about to become harder to keep. PRP is one of the few services that works with people in their homes and communities every week, where missed mail and expired paperwork actually happen. Advocate’s team helps clients stay enrolled in Medicaid, SNAP, and other benefits, and coordinates with you when a client needs documentation of a health condition for an exemption.
Submit a referral or call admissions at (866) 277-2080, extension 2.
Last updated October 15, 2026. This page provides general information, not legal advice. Rules are still being finalized and may change; always follow the official notices you receive and the sources linked above.