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Nebraska will begin enforcing new Medicaid work requirements Friday, putting the state months ahead of a federal deadline and affecting tens of thousands of residents.State officials say the changes, authorized under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, position Nebraska as the earliest adopter of stricter eligibility rules. Some advocacy and policy groups, however, warn the accelerated rollout could leave many beneficiaries unprepared and at risk of losing coverage.“The country is watching Nebraska,” said Anthony Wright of Families USA.The new rules impact adults enrolled through Medicaid expansion, which covers about 72,000 Nebraskans between the ages of 19 and 64. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services estimates roughly 25,000 of those individuals will be subject to the updated requirements.Those affected must meet monthly thresholds to maintain coverage. That includes working, volunteering or attending school for at least 80 hours per month, earning a minimum of $580 monthly, or qualifying for an exemption, such as a disability or certain health conditions. Individuals who fail to meet or document those requirements risk losing benefits.Drew Gonshorowski, director of the state’s Division of Medicaid and Long-Term Care, said Nebraska was able to move quickly without expanding its workforce.“We leveraged our eligibility resources and also in-house IT solutions to build this,” Gonshorowski said. “Nebraska does lead the nation in a lot of things. And this was something that I was really heartened to see, the work that we could do.”Under the timeline, new applicants and those renewing coverage after Friday must demonstrate compliance. Current beneficiaries will begin facing the requirements during their renewal period, which Gonshorowski said is expected to ramp up around July.Advocacy groups argue the pace of implementation has limited public input and awareness.“There are few chances for folks to provide really meaningful feedback because of this rush job,” said Sarah Maresh of Nebraska Appleseed. “People are under-informed and uninformed.”Opponents also warn the added administrative hurdles could have wider consequences beyond individual patients, including in rural hospitals.“State and federal policymakers should be accountable for the decision to double down on bureaucratic barriers,” Wright said.Maresh added that the effects could extend beyond those directly subject to the requirements because it will pinch an already diminished staff at DHHS with additional work. “The results are going to trickle to everyone with Medicaid coverage,” she said.State officials maintain the changes are designed to promote workforce participation and tamp down on misuse of the program.”Our commitment here is to ensure that our members receive coverage long term,” Gonshorowsk said. “And we will work with our providers to ensure sustainability of our systems.”Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Nebraska will begin enforcing new Medicaid work requirements Friday, putting the state months ahead of a federal deadline and affecting tens of thousands of residents.
State officials say the changes, authorized under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, position Nebraska as the earliest adopter of stricter eligibility rules. Some advocacy and policy groups, however, warn the accelerated rollout could leave many beneficiaries unprepared and at risk of losing coverage.
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“The country is watching Nebraska,” said Anthony Wright of Families USA.
The new rules impact adults enrolled through Medicaid expansion, which covers about 72,000 Nebraskans between the ages of 19 and 64. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services estimates roughly 25,000 of those individuals will be subject to the updated requirements.
Those affected must meet monthly thresholds to maintain coverage. That includes working, volunteering or attending school for at least 80 hours per month, earning a minimum of $580 monthly, or qualifying for an exemption, such as a disability or certain health conditions. Individuals who fail to meet or document those requirements risk losing benefits.
Drew Gonshorowski, director of the state’s Division of Medicaid and Long-Term Care, said Nebraska was able to move quickly without expanding its workforce.
“We leveraged our eligibility resources and also in-house IT solutions to build this,” Gonshorowski said. “Nebraska does lead the nation in a lot of things. And this was something that I was really heartened to see, the work that we could do.”
Under the timeline, new applicants and those renewing coverage after Friday must demonstrate compliance. Current beneficiaries will begin facing the requirements during their renewal period, which Gonshorowski said is expected to ramp up around July.
Advocacy groups argue the pace of implementation has limited public input and awareness.
“There are few chances for folks to provide really meaningful feedback because of this rush job,” said Sarah Maresh of Nebraska Appleseed. “People are under-informed and uninformed.”
Opponents also warn the added administrative hurdles could have wider consequences beyond individual patients, including in rural hospitals.
“State and federal policymakers should be accountable for the decision to double down on bureaucratic barriers,” Wright said.
Maresh added that the effects could extend beyond those directly subject to the requirements because it will pinch an already diminished staff at DHHS with additional work.
“The results are going to trickle to everyone with Medicaid coverage,” she said.
State officials maintain the changes are designed to promote workforce participation and tamp down on misuse of the program.
“Our commitment here is to ensure that our members receive coverage long term,” Gonshorowsk said. “And we will work with our providers to ensure sustainability of our systems.”
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
