How to Renew Maine Medicaid
Updated August 2026
Maine renews MaineCare eligibility annually. The Office for Family Independence (OFI) first tries an ex parte review — using electronic data from the Social Security Administration, state wage records, and other sources to confirm eligibility without requiring member action. When ex parte verification is successful, coverage renews automatically and OFI sends a notice.
Annual
Renewal frequency
MyMaineConnection
Online renewal portal
10 days
Deadline to report changes
Keep your MyMaineConnection account and contact information current
MaineCare renewal notices are sent through mymaineconnection.gov and by mail. Members with outdated addresses or inactive accounts miss these notices and lose coverage. Log in to update your email, mailing address, and household information before your renewal date.
How MaineCare renews your coverage
If electronic data is insufficient or shows a change in circumstances, OFI sends a renewal packet to the address on file and to your MyMaineConnection account. You must respond by the deadline on the notice — typically 30 days. Missing the deadline causes coverage to end, though you can reapply at any time.
How to complete your MaineCare renewal
When it's time to renew, follow these steps:
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1
Log in to MyMaineConnection
Go to mymaineconnection.gov and check for renewal action items. Renewal notices arrive by email (if you opted in), by mail, and in your account inbox. Enable email notifications in your account settings so you don't miss them.
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2
Review and update your information
Confirm that income, household members, address, and citizenship/immigration status are still accurate. Report any changes — a new job, a move, a household member who left or joined.
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3
Provide documentation if OFI requests it
If income or other information cannot be confirmed electronically, OFI will ask for pay stubs, Social Security letters, proof of residency, or immigration documents. Upload directly in MyMaineConnection or bring to an OFI office.
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4
Submit by the deadline
Complete renewal online, by calling 1-855-797-4357, or in person at an OFI office. Online submission is fastest. If you cannot make the deadline, call OFI — extensions are sometimes granted for good cause.
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5
Confirm your coverage is active
After OFI processes your renewal, log in to MyMaineConnection to confirm that coverage is active and that your plan and providers haven't changed.
Documents that may be needed at renewal
- Recent pay stubs (one to two months)
- Self-employment income documentation or most recent tax return
- Social Security or SSI award letter if receiving benefits
- Proof of Maine residency (utility bill, lease, bank statement)
- Immigration documents if your status has changed
- Documentation of any household changes (new household member, someone who left)
Reporting changes and Maine's unwinding performance
Maine requires members to report significant income or household changes within 10 days. Reporting changes through MyMaineConnection mid-year prevents larger problems at annual renewal. Unreported income increases can trigger retroactive overpayments at renewal.
When the federal continuous enrollment requirement ended in 2023, states began disenrolling members who no longer qualified or who couldn't be reached for renewal. Maine had lower-than-average disenrollment rates during the unwinding period, in part because of the state's investment in ex parte review infrastructure and outreach to members whose coverage was at risk. Per KFF tracking of the unwinding period, Maine was among the states with fewer procedural disenrollments (cases where members lost coverage for paperwork reasons rather than income reasons).
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" — and 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 Maine Medicaid during that period without receiving a renewal notice, you may still be eligible. Contact MaineCare to reapply.
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 MaineCare 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. Report a new job or income change, a move to a new address, a change in household size (new baby, someone moves in or out), or gaining or losing other health coverage through MyMaineConnection.
MaineCare (Maine Medicaid)
- MaineCare / OFI phone line: 1-855-797-4357
- Online renewal portal: mymaineconnection.gov
- Maine DHHS Office for Family Independence: maine.gov/dhhs/oms