The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has announced that it has implemented new Medicaid work requirements, making Nebraska the first state in the country to do so.
Last year, H.R. 1 was approved by Congress, requiring states to implement new work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries in the expansion category, which includes able-bodied adults between 19 and 64. States are required to implement the changes by Jan. 1, 2027; Nebraska will implement the new work requirements starting May 1, 2026.
Although the requirements take effect May 1, they will not be applied to all expansion members immediately. Reviews will occur during each member’s regularly scheduled Medicaid renewal period. Members with renewal dates in May or June 2026 will not be subject to the requirements. The first group impacted will be those with eligibility periods ending July 31, 2026, with phased implementation continuing through June 2027. Existing members must demonstrate at least one month of compliance with work requirements since their initial eligibility determination or most recent renewal.
