Annual health plan selection (AHPS) for 2026

Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) annual health plan selection (AHPS) packets will be in the mail starting January 14, 2026, and continue to be mailed until February 5, 2026.

If you do not get a packet by Feb. 17th, call the DHS Annual Health Plan Selection phone line.

    DHS Annual Health Plan Selection phone line: 651-431-3722 or 833-970-0047
    Hours 8–11:30 a.m. and noon to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday
    TTY: Use your preferred relay service.

The packet includes an annual health plan selection notice that tells you the following:

• Who can change health plans
• Which health plans are available to you
• What you need to do if you want to make a change
• A return envelope to mail your change request if you have more than one health plan option available to you.
• A summary of covered services, health plan survey results, and a notice of rights for the program you and your family members are enrolled in.

If you want to keep your health plan, and it is still available in your county, you do not have to do anything. However, you are welcome to choose a new health plan.

To make your decision, you may want to contact your health care provider. Ask the provider whether he or she is part of one of the health plans listed on the back of your notice.

You can change health plans by placing an X in front of the health plan choice on your annual health plan selection (AHPS) notice and mailing it in the return envelope you got in your packet by March 6, 2026.

The deadline to return your AHPS form is March 6, 2026.

The notice in your packet will tell you which health plans are available to you.

These maps show the health plans available by program and county:

• Families and Children Prepaid Medical Assistance Program (PMAP) (DHS-4324) (PDF)
• MinnesotaCare (DHS-4326) (PDF)
• Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO)  and Minnesota Senior Care Plus (MSC+) (DHS-4840) (PDF)
• Special Needs BasicCare (SNBC) (DHS-5218) (PDF)

Some households have members that are eligible for MinnesotaCare and other members that are eligible for Medical Assistance (MA). All members in a household in MinnesotaCare must enroll in the same health plan. The family members eligible for MA in the household can enroll in the same health plan, if it is available to them, or they can enroll in a different health plan that is available in the county. In some counties, the health plans available to MinnesotaCare and MA members may be different.

No. All health plans provide the same basic benefits. There may be differences between health plans in their provider networks. Exception: If you have SNBC or MSHO, check with the health plans on supplemental benefits they provide. These may vary by health plan.

Yes. Health plans have their own network of providers. To find out whether your provider is in a specific health plan, call the Health plan member services.

You can change health plans by following the instructions on the AHPS notice you receive in the mail. It will provide the details needed to change plans.

If you need emergency care on or after your new enrollment starts, the emergency care will be covered by the new health plan. Emergency care is covered even if you have not yet received a new health plan card. Emergency services are covered even if provided by a provider that is not in your new health plan's network.

Yes. All health plans in the Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare programs must cover all the required program services once you are enrolled.

Your coverage for doctor visits, hospital care, mental health, pharmacy benefits and other services will not change when you switch health plans within the same program. There may be some differences in the health care providers you may use or whether certain drugs are covered, but your benefits stay the same.

When deciding which health plan to select, you should check to see whether your health care provider(s) works with the new health plan.

No, all health plans must accept everyone who is eligible for the program and enrolls with the health plan.

Health plans must provide appropriate care to people with special health care needs, including access to specialists if appropriate for the member's condition and identified needs. You can call your new health plan to discuss any concerns about continuing treatment.

Yes. If you are currently in treatment for a medical condition, the new health plan must pay for medically necessary covered services. You should contact your new health plan to discuss how and where your care will be continued.

The new health plan may require you or your doctor to request a service authorization, and your doctor or health care provider may need to agree to certain requirements established by the new health plan.

Yes. If you arranged for surgery, chemical dependency treatment, or another specific health care service under your health plan, the new health plan must honor that arrangement but may require you receive services from your new health plan’s provider network. Contact your new health plan to discuss how and where your care will be continued.

If you or your family is receiving mental health services, your new health plan must work with you to develop a transition plan to ensure you can keep getting the services you need, even though you may need to work with a new mental health provider.

Yes. Your new health plan must honor current prescriptions that need to be filled after members new enrollment with their new health plan. In some cases, your new health plan may cover different drugs for your condition than what you are used to taking. If that is your situation, the new health plan will continue covering the drugs you are taking under a current prescription for 90 days or until the health plan can work with you and your provider to switch to drugs it covers.

For certain drugs used to treat serious mental health conditions, health plans may be required to continue to cover those drugs for as long as you are enrolled with them and as long as your provider continues to prescribe the drug.

If you are taking a specialty medication and using your health plan’s specialty mail-order pharmacy, you may need to switch to your new health plan’s specialty mail-order pharmacy. Contact your new health plan to get your specialty prescription transferred to the new specialty pharmacy.