Mississippi Medicaid recipients will soon be notified at least twice that their eligibility is up for renewal. Medicaid recipients now receive one notice.

Medicaid officials announced Tuesday that the agency will begin issuing two warnings in the next 30 to 90 days.

Medicaid spokesman Francis Rullan said the decision was reached after advocates called for changes. She said the additional notices were recently tested on residents in Neshoba and Newton counties and resulted in a "minimal decrease in case closures."

Officials say by notifying recipients twice they can then make plans to obtain the verifications needed to have their eligibility reviewed.