Renewals - MA

Renewal Applications can be received through CommonHelp and RDE, as well as by paper. When a completed renewal application is received, follow the steps below to process the renewal in the VaCMS. For help performing renewals received within the grace period for closed cases, please see the Quick Reference Guide titled Reinstate a Program.

Note: MA shell cases converted from MMIS will not have complete information. Upon the first renewal or change / add a member, enter all missing information that did not convert, such as income, resources, expenses, etc., as well as update data as needed based on the renewal or change. Be sure to visit all summary and detail pages when processing shell cases.  

For additional assistance, you can refer to the MA Renewals in the VaCMS (Parts 1 and 2) eLearnings available on the Knowledge Center.

The renewal process starts 60 days prior to the customer’s current renewal date. The dates associated with the renewal process are listed below.
Note for Cases with Spenddown: Workers should not initiate the renewal until the month before the Spenddown Budget period is ending. This is necessary so Eligibility can correctly calculate the new Spenddown period.

60 Days Prior to Renewal Date

• The VaCMS generates an automated renewal task (alert).

• On the 1st Saturday after MA cutoff, VaCMS will utilize external income verification sources, SNAP income data, and other methods to verify earned and unearned income to automate ex parte renewals due two months from the end of the month the process is run. Assess the Automated Ex Parte Renewal Report and then manually generate renewal packets from the MA Renewal Manager page if a renewal packet was not automatically generated for a case with a renewal due two months from the end of the month the process is run.

• Please refer to the Automated Ex Parte Renewals QRG for more information about the automated ex parte renewal process.

• Refer to the Generating a Pre-Filled Renewal Form QRG for more information on manually generating renewal packets.
  Note: The due date displayed on any automated Administrative Renewal form is 30 days from the date the form is generated. The customer needs to return the renewal form to the LDSS by that date so their renewal can be processed. This date is not necessarily the same date the renewal is due but is the date the form is due back to the agency for processing.

15-30 Days Prior to Renewal Date

• Update the VaCMS with new information reported on the renewal or that has been verified and run eligibility between the 1st and 16th of the month that the renewal is due.

• If any verifications are needed or further clarifications are needed, send a VCL.

Renewal Due Date

• If the renewal is processed in the month that it is due, the next renewal date will be 12 months from the original review date.
  Exception: If an ex-parte renewal is completed more than 3 months prior to the original renewal date, the next renewal date will be 12 months from the date that you performed the renewal. For example, a renewal is due February 2016. An ex-parte renewal is performed in October 2015. The next renewal date will be October 2016.

• If a renewal is completed after the due date, the next renewal date is going to be 12 months from the date the redetermination was performed. For example, if a renewal is performed in November 2015 that was due in September 2015, the next renewal date will be November 2016.

• Renewals are considered overdue if they are not completed by the 16th of the month in which they are due.

• The system-generated renewal task (alert) does not clear from the task / reminders inbox until the renewal has been completed, eligibility run, and results authorized.

• If the renewal packet is not received or the customer fails to provide verifications, please reference the Handling Overdue MA Renewal Packets (Closing the MA Program) QRG.

After the completed renewal form is received back from the customer, you will perform the following steps in order to complete the renewal process in the VaCMS:

1. From the Left Navigation menu, click Data Collection, and then click Case Action.

2. Enter the case number and select Redetermination from the dropdown menu. This initiates the redetermination case action.

3. The Initiate Interview – Initiate Review page displays.

4. Select the EDGs on the case for which you wish to initiate a renewal.

5. Document the Packet Received / Ex Parte Date
   Note: The system will pre-populate this field for renewals received via CommonHelp or RDE.

6. Click Next.

7. Follow the Redetermination driver flow, reviewing and updating fields as needed based on new information included on the customers’ completed renewal form.
   Note: As you update case details, look out for default data populated during conversion that you must update.
   Note: If new information is reported or if old information changes, enter a new Effective Begin Date to create a historical record.
   Note: By default, the driver flow takes you to the Summary page. You must click the edit icon (pencil) next to each record on the Summary page in order to view information pertaining to the given section. This is important as you must confirm the accuracy of the information as found in the VaCMS to what the customer has provided for the renewal.

8. Be sure to click a Save button (Save + Continue, Save + Previous) on each page in order to save the data.

9. Run eligibility:

   1. If eligibility results are pending, enter any comments that you want to display on the VCL prior to generating the VCL. Whether or not the verifications are received, you must re-run eligibility to show the correct results.

   2. If approved, closed, or denied, certify and authorize the eligibility results. Enter any comments that you want to display on the Notice of Action prior to certifying / authorizing the eligibility results. MMIS transactions are automatically sent upon clicking Certify / Authorize. Use the MMIS Transaction History page to verify.

10. Navigate to the View Pending Forms page to locate the Notice of Eligibility or Verification Checklist (VCL) if eligibility is pending.

11. The forms are marked for Central Print. No action is necessary.

In some instances, values converted to the VaCMS from MMIS do not have a corresponding option in the VaCMS that matches. In these situations, the field will display default data or values such as Unknown, Not verified, Other or Conversion. During the renewal process, you will need to update these fields with the information provided by the customer on their completed renewal form. You may also need to refer to the paper case record for some verification sources / information.

Note: Refer to the When to Update Default Data from MMIS Conversion QRG for more information on default data.

Updated 04/17/2017