As Michigan resumes Medicaid eligibility redeterminations to comply with recent federal legislation, the state Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services are warning residents to protect themselves against scams.

Nationwide, Medicaid beneficiaries will have to renew their coverage starting this year, and scammers may see this as a way to steal money or personal information.

“MDHHS is strongly committed to ensuring Michiganders who are eligible for Medicaid coverage remain enrolled,” MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said. “This includes helping protect personal information throughout the redetermination process.”

Programs with major impacts on many people, such as the Medicaid redetermination process, often create opportunities for scammers. They seek to cause confusion and take advantage of time constraints to obtain Social Security numbers or other personal information so that they can steal the identities or money of their victims.

“As the Medicaid renewal process restarts nationwide, we are already seeing criminals in other states try to take advantage of the situation to scam innocent people,” DIFS Director Anita Fox said. “Giving out your information to the wrong person could end up costing you thousands of dollars in the long run. Be sure to stay vigilant, never give your Social Security number or other personal information to anyone who sends you unsolicited emails, texts, or phone calls, and never agree to pay for an unsolicited service.”

DHHS and DIFS encourage Michiganders to take these steps to avoid redetermination scams —

— Never give away a Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare ID number. Scammers who contact people often offer assistance but will insist they need a Social Security number or other personal information to process the application. These people will then use these numbers to steal your identity.

— Never provide banking or credit card information to anyone who calls claiming to be from Michigan Medicaid, MDHHS or DIFS. Scammers will often ask for that information over the phone or via text. MDHHS and DIFS will never request this information in this manner.

— Do not rely on caller ID. Scammers can use technology to make it look like they are calling from a legitimate business or government agency.

Residents should log into Michigan.gov/MIBridges to check the status of their renewal, report any changes in the household or income or to ensure that the address, phone number and email address are up to date. Any questions about a communication may also be answered by calling the local MDHHS office.

Those with concerns or who feel they are being pressured to take action can log into their MI Bridges account, which will provide detailed information on what actions are required.

Residents who suspect that they or someone they know has been contacted by a scammer or has mistakenly given out personal information should contact the Michigan Department of the Attorney General at 877-765-8388 or go to the Consumer Protection Team website.

For more information about Medicaid eligibility renewals, go to Michigan.gov/2023BenefitChanges. For information about staying covered if Medicaid eligibility ends, go to Michigan.gov/StayCovered or call DIFS at 877-999-6442 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday.