How to Fill Out and Submit the Michigan MDHHS-1010 Redetermination Form

The MDHHS-1010 redetermination form is the packet Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services mails when it’s time to confirm you still qualify for the Food Assistance Program (FAP), the Family Independence Program (FIP), or Medicaid. The department sends it on the fourth day of the month before your redetermination is due, and you have 30 calendar days from that notice to return it.¹ Miss the due date printed on your notice and your benefits can close at the end of your certification period, so treat it as a hard deadline.

Why the Form Arrived

A full redetermination is required at least every 12 months for most programs.¹ Some FAP households sit on a 24-month benefit period with a mid-certification contact at 12 months, Michigan Combined Application Project (MiCAP) cases run on a 36-month cycle, and households with unstable circumstances may be certified for just three months at a time.

For Medicaid, the department first attempts a passive renewal by checking state databases like tax records and wage data.¹ If those records confirm you still qualify, coverage renews automatically and no form comes. The MDHHS-1010 shows up only when the state can’t verify eligibility from what it already has. It arrives pre-populated with the information on file, so much of the work is confirming or correcting rather than starting from scratch.

What to Gather Before You Start

Missing paperwork is the single most common reason a redetermination stalls, and the department can deny your case if required proof doesn’t come in.² Pull these together first:

Social Security numbers for every household member applying for benefits. Federal law (42 USC 1320b-7) requires them. You don’t need SSNs for household members who aren’t applying, or for FAP recipients who can’t provide one on religious grounds.²
Recent proof of income: pay stubs, Social Security award letters, unemployment statements, self-employment records.
Bank balances, retirement account statements, and cash on hand.
Shelter costs: rent or mortgage amount, property tax bills, homeowner’s insurance.
Utility bills for heat, electric, water, sewer, phone, and trash.
Childcare receipts or statements for care you pay while working or in training.
Out-of-pocket medical costs over $35 a month, if your household includes someone 60 or older or someone with a disability. Those unreimbursed expenses count as a deduction.³

Don’t hold the form hostage to a missing document. The information booklet tells you to sign and submit even if some paperwork isn’t ready; the department will follow up in one to two weeks for whatever is still outstanding.² A timely form with a gap is far better than a late form that’s complete.

Filling Out the Form

Because the packet arrives pre-filled from your last application or review, your job in each section is to check what’s printed, correct anything that has changed, and add what’s missing.

Household composition. List every person living with you. For adults, that includes any spouse, any children under 21 (stepchildren too), and anyone on the same federal tax return. For a child under 21, list any parent or stepparent, siblings, and the child’s own children if applicable.² If someone moved in or out since your last review, note the date of the change.

Income. Report all earned and unearned income for every member: wages, self-employment, Social Security, pensions, child support received, anything coming in. Benefit amounts flow directly from these numbers.

Assets. Most FAP households in Michigan aren’t subject to a strict asset test thanks to broad-based categorical eligibility. An asset test does apply if a household member has been disqualified for an intentional program violation, is a fleeing felon, or if the head of household was disqualified for failing work requirements. In those cases the limit is $3,000 for standard households or $4,500 if a member is elderly or disabled.² For FIP, the limits are $15,000 in cash assets and $200,000 in property.

Expenses and deductions. Shelter, utilities, childcare, and qualifying medical costs come off your gross income before the department calculates your benefit. Underreporting expenses means a smaller check or lower FAP allotment, so be thorough.

Sign and date the form. Your signature certifies the information is true; the department warns that intentionally providing false or misleading information, or hiding facts, can result in sanctions.²

If Someone Else Needs to Handle It for You

If a disability, language barrier, or other circumstance keeps you from managing the redetermination yourself, you can appoint an authorized representative to sign forms, submit documents, attend the interview, and receive notices on your behalf. File Form MDHHS-5637 to grant that authority. An existing power of attorney works as well, provided it specifically covers government benefits. The designation stays in effect until you revoke it in writing or name someone new. A representative who knowingly submits false information faces the same consequences you would.

How to Submit the Packet

You have four ways to return the form and its attachments:

Online through MI Bridges at newmibridges.michigan.gov. When your renewal is due, a “Renew Benefits” button appears on your dashboard, and you can upload photos or scans of the supporting documents. This is generally the fastest route.⁴
By fax, using the number printed on your redetermination notice (it goes to your assigned local office).
By dropping the packet at your local MDHHS county office. Most offices have a secure drop box.
By mail, to the address on your notice.

Keep copies of everything. If you mail or fax, confirm receipt through MI Bridges or by calling 855-276-4627.²

The Interview

FAP and FIP both require a telephone interview with the head of household before the department will recertify eligibility.¹ You can ask for an in-person interview instead. The date, time, and interview details come inside the redetermination packet.

Medicaid renewals don’t require an interview at all.¹ If you’re only renewing healthcare coverage, submit the form and documents without scheduling anything.

During a FAP or FIP interview, the caseworker verifies income, household, and expenses. Have the same documents in front of you that you submitted, because the questions often focus on irregular pay stubs, household changes, or discrepancies between what you reported and what the state’s records show. If you miss your scheduled interview, call your local office right away to reschedule. A missed interview without follow-up can close your case.

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

If the completed paperwork doesn’t come in by the due date, the department may close your case at the end of the current certification period. For Medicaid, the state has said outright that those who fail to return the paperwork “may lose Medicaid coverage.”⁵ The same logic applies to FAP and FIP: without the information needed to verify eligibility, benefits end.

Return the form even if you think you personally no longer qualify. Other people in the household may still be eligible, and submitting the paperwork protects their coverage.⁵ If your case does close, restarting benefits means filing a new application (MDHHS-1171) and going through the full application process again.

After You Submit

Once the packet arrives, a caseworker reviews it, requests any missing verification, and calculates your eligibility from the updated numbers. The decision comes as a written notice of case action mailed to the address on file. The notice specifies whether benefits continue at the same level, change, or end, and it must explain the policy basis for any reduction or termination.⁶

If you disagree, you have 90 calendar days from the date on the notice to request an administrative hearing, and the request must reach your local MDHHS office within that window.⁶ You or your authorized representative can file it. At the hearing, the Michigan Administrative Hearing System reviews whether the department applied the eligibility rules correctly, so bring the pay stubs, receipts, bank statements, and any other documents that support your side. If the hearing officer finds an error, benefits can be reinstated or adjusted retroactively.

1
Michigan Department of Health & Human Services. BAM 210 Redetermination/Ex Parte Review
2
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. MDHHS-Pub-1010 Information Booklet
3
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Medical Expenses Handbook
4
State of Michigan. Renew Benefits – MI Bridges
5
State of Michigan. Medicaid Redetermination
6
Michigan Department of Health & Human Services. BAM 600 Hearings