MississippiCAN Frequently Asked Questions

Medicaid is a program for people with low income who meet certain eligibility requirements and programs can vary from state-to-state.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people who are age 65 or older, disabled persons, or those with end-stage kidney disease. Medicare eligibility is not based on income, and basic coverage is the same in each state.

When you apply for Medicaid, you must fill out an application form. You will also need to have various documents:

• Information about household members (name, date of birth and Social Security number)
• Rent or mortgage information
• Expenses (utilities, daycare, etc.)
• Vehicle information
• Bank statements
• Income (pay stubs)
• Proof of citizenship
• Additional information as requested

Your medical home is the provider you go to all the time.

• They have your medical records. This lets the doctor see you faster.
• They know what shots, illnesses and drugs you have had. They know what works best.
• They know your allergies and other health issues.
• They know what behavior and health is normal for you.
• They can answer your questions about previous treatment.

A "medical emergency" is when you reasonably believe that your health is in serious danger – when every second counts. A medical emergency includes severe pain, a bad injury, a serious illness, or a medical condition that is quickly getting much worse.

If you have a medical emergency:

• Get medical help as quickly as possible. Call 911 for help or go to the nearest emergency room, hospital, or urgent care center. You don't need to get approval or a referral first from your primary care doctor or other plan provider.

Urgent care is not emergency care. It is care that you need sooner than a normal appointment (within 24 hours). You might need this for things like sprains, mild-to-moderate bleeding, bruises, minor burns, drug reactions or an illness lasting longer than a day. Seek urgent care from a provider in the network. If you require urgently needed care when you are in an area outside of your network, then you may get this care from any provider.

If you get care from a non-network provider that is not an emergency or that is not urgent without prior authorization, you must pay the entire cost yourself.

Your enrollment in MississippiCAN is for 12 months or until you lose eligibility, whichever comes first. The Mississippi Department of Medicaid (DOM) will tell UnitedHealthcare Community Plan the date you’re enrolled. Your eligibility continues until DOM tells UnitedHealthcare the date you’ll be disenrolled.

Contact the Mississippi state agency where you enrolled if any of these things happen:

• Your family size changes
• You move
• Your telephone number changes
• Your income goes up or down
• You get health care coverage under another policy or there are changes to that coverage

Important: To report changes, call, write or visit the Mississippi state agency that said you were eligible. All changes MUST be reported within 10 days after the change happens (or within 10 days after you learn of the change). Failure to report a change may mean you get the wrong benefits.

Once you enroll, you have 90 days to stop your enrollment in UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. If you do not stop enrollment in the first 90 days, you’ll be a member of our plan for the next year or until the next open enrollment period.

You can change for any reason in the first 90 days of your membership. Call the Mississippi Department of Medicaid (DOM) if you want to change your membership during this period.

After your first 90 days, you may need a special reason to end your UnitedHealthcare Community Plan membership. Some special reasons could be:

• You move outside the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan service area
• Your income changes

You must contact DOM in writing or by phone and ask for a form to disenroll or change plans. Then submit the completed form to DOM.

If you’re disenrolled, your coverage will end on the last day of that month.