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5Q HEALTH
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Coverage Keeper · A free tool for North Carolina families

New rules are coming. Your benefits don't have to be caught off guard.

North Carolina is adding new checks and requirements to Medicaid and SNAP over the next two years. Most people who lose benefits during changes like these are still eligible — they lose coverage to a missed letter, an old address, or a deadline. This tool builds you a personal checklist so the paperwork never catches you by surprise.

You haven't done anything wrong. These checks apply to everyone. Being prepared is not a red flag — it's the smartest thing you can do. Nothing you tap on this page is saved or sent anywhere.
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Which benefit do you want to protect?

Coverage Keeper — My Benefits Checklist
From 5Q Health (5qhealth.ai) · · Printed

Your checklist

    Dates that matter to you

    These come from state law and current program rules. The dates on any letter you receive always come first.

      When a letter arrives — do these five things

      1. Open it the same day. Letters about benefits almost always contain a deadline.
      2. Find the deadline and circle it. The deadline printed in your letter is the one that counts — and sooner is always safer.
      3. Take a photo of every page before you do anything else.
      4. Respond before the deadline, even if you can't get every document — send what you have and say the rest is coming. Keep proof you responded (a receipt, confirmation number, or photo of what you mailed).
      5. If the letter says your benefits are stopping or shrinking and you believe that's wrong — ask for an appeal right away. Appeal deadlines are short, and responding very quickly can sometimes keep your benefits on while your appeal is decided. The letter explains how; the people in the "Where to get help" box can walk you through it for free.

      Where to get help — free

      Your county DSS office — for questions about your case, renewals, and reporting changes.

      Call 2-1-1 — a free, statewide line that connects you to local help with benefits, food, and housing.

      Legal Aid of North Carolina (legalaidnc.org) — free legal help with benefit denials and appeals.

      What this tool is — and is not

      It is: a plain-language checklist builder using dates and requirements from North Carolina law (the 2026 Appropriations Act and related rules) and general program information, current as of July 2026.

      It is not: an eligibility decision, legal advice, or a substitute for the notices you receive. It cannot tell you whether you qualify for anything — only your caseworker, plan, or a legal advocate can.

      Your privacy: everything happens on your device. This page has no accounts, no tracking, and no server storing answers. Nothing you tap is saved or sent — the only copy of your checklist is the one you print or email to yourself.