COVID-19 Information  for LA HAP members

If you’ve lost your job, you still have several insurance options!  Check out our factsheet here.

LA HAP staff are now working at home, but we have new numbers where you can reach us during the week.  Our numbers are here.  If no one is available to take your call, please leave a voicemail message.

If you have general questions about LA HAP, you can also email us at lahap@la.gov.  Please don’t share any confidential health information in an email.  Also, we can NOT accept LA HAP applications or other paperwork by email.

If your LA HAP eligibility was supposed to end on March 31st, your eligibility was automatically extended to April 30th, 2020.  If you think you will still have trouble recertifying by the end of April, read the rest of these FAQ’s or call us so we can help you go through some options.

If you can’t get to a fax machine at your case management agency, a library, or elsewhere, you have a couple options:

• You can download the (fillable PDF) LA HAP application from our website, fill it out on your computer, and sign it electronically.  You can then use a free online fax service or smartphone app to send it to us.  Here are some examples of free online fax services and here are some examples of smartphone apps.  Please note that LA HAP cannot make any recommendations about the quality of any particular service or the security of your information when you use an online fax service or app, so you assume all risks associated with the use of that service.
• You can mail the application to our office at: LA HAP, 1450 Poydras St Suite 2136, New Orleans, LA 70112.  Because we have very limited staff in the office right now, it may take a while for your paperwork to be received and processed so don’t do this if it’s an emergency.
• We can NOT accept applications by email.

These are the types of income documentation that LA HAP accepts, so it may be possible for to provide a type of documentation that you wouldn’t normally submit.  If you can’t, for the time being you can write a letter that states how much money you make.  The letter must:

• Specify your gross income amount (not net); and
• Specify how often you receive this income (yearly, monthly, every 2 weeks, etc.)
• Be signed and dated.  You can use an electronic signature or type your name if you can’t print off a paper copy to sign, but do not forget the date!

Yes- LA HAP has authorized an early refill for all our clients through May 31st, 2020.  You should be able to work with any pharmacy in our network to fill your medication.  Our network is here.  If you don’t have insurance, make sure your pharmacy is part of our uninsured network (written in blue at the end of the network list) and that your medication is on our formulary. Call us if you have trouble.

If you are staying at home, many pharmacies can also deliver medications to your home.  You can call your pharmacy to find out more.

Yes, it’s still the law that you have to file your taxes.  If LA HAP paid at least one of your Marketplace health insurance premiums in 2019, you may owe them money at tax time.  This will be the amount in Line 9 of Form 1040-Schedule 3.  You can call Alicia at 504-877-4873 if you have questions about that.

The good news is, now you have more time!   Both federal and state income taxes are now due July 15th.  And here is some more good news: if you file your taxes, you will be eligible to receive a check from the government related to the COVID-19 emergency.

Usually, Medicaid and LA HAP calculate income the same way.

• Your stimulus payment does NOT count as part of your total income for Medicaid or LA HAP eligibility.
• If you’re getting unemployment, your base unemployment benefit DOES count toward your income for both Medicaid and LA HAP. However, the enhanced unemployment benefit (the extra $300 per week) DOES NOT count toward your income for Medicaid or LA HAP.

Remember, too, that both Medicaid and LA HAP look at your overall household income when determining your eligibility- not just yours.  You can see the income guidelines here.