Last July, President Trump signed H.R. 1 into law, making significant changes to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other social service programs.
Among the many changes in this new law were work requirements for certain Medicaid recipients. Since the federal law went into effect, on May 1, Nebraska became the first state to implement these work requirements. This means current and new enrollees of Medicaid who fall into the expansion category must participate in work, approved work programs, community service or educational activities for at least 80 hours per month, unless they qualify for an exemption.
May be Exempt from Requirements
The good news is that if you are pregnant, postpartum or have a child in the home who is age 13 or younger, you are exempt from these work requirements, which means you will not be required to work to receive your health care benefits. If you are applying as a new applicant, you can simply fill in the application and indicate if you are pregnant or have dependents in the home. If you are pregnant, remember to fill in your due date on the application.
If you are currently enrolled and become pregnant, you need to contact the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) right away and let them know you are pregnant. You can let NDHHS know of any changes to your status online through the iServe portal, by calling NDHHS or in person at an NDHHS office.
Helps Prevent Maternity Care Deserts
First Five Nebraska is working to create awareness about these new requirements and what Medicaid expansion members who are pregnant, postpartum or have children in the home need to do to protect their coverage. We encourage others to help spread the word because Medicaid coverage is crucial for these populations. Half of Nebraska counties are considered “maternity care” deserts by the March of Dimes, meaning they lack maternity care resources such as hospitals and birth centers with obstetric providers. By paying for a significant number of births in Nebraska, Medicaid is a major source of funding for providers, which helps prevent maternity care deserts.
Please visit FFN’s Medicaid Work Requirements & Exemptions page on our website to learn more and hear directly from Nebraska providers. It is also important to know that there are other exemptions to the new work requirements, and we encourage Medicaid enrollees to learn about those by visiting the NDHHS Work Requirements page on their website.
Together, we can ensure Nebraskans protect their coverage.
Watch this short video, “Protect Your Coverage”
