Many Medicaid expansion recipients will have to work or participate in public service or education 80 hours per month or lose coverage come January 1, 2027.
The work requirements are part of President Trump’s budget reconciliation bill, also known as H.R. 1. Supporters say the change will help cut Medicaid spending and encourage self-sufficiency. But people against the change say many Medicaid recipients already work and administrative hurdles could kick eligible people off, increasing uninsured rates.
Midwestern states like Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska will be impacted because the states expanded Medicaid. Kansas has not expanded Medicaid so the work requirement is not applicable to Medicaid recipients there.
In May, Nebraska became the first state in the country to implement the policy. Iowa is set to make the change on Dec. 1, and Missouri is planning to begin implementing the change on Jan. 1, 2027. Pregnant or recently postpartum people, people with disabilities or people who are deemed medically frail are exempt.
We’d like to hear from people in Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska about their experiences during this change.
The Midwest Newsroom is reporting on this issue. We’d like to hear from people in Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska about their experiences during this change. We want to know if the work requirement will (or has already, if you live in Nebraska) impact you and your family and if so, how, and whether or not your state has clear guidelines on who is exempt or not.
We are also interested in hearing from people like medical providers, insurance navigators and advocates about their concerns and what they are hearing from Medicaid recipients. If you’d like to share your story, please complete this short survey. We won’t use any information you give us without your permission, and we won’t ever sell it. If you have questions, please email reporter Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga at r.shackelford@kcur.org.
The Midwest Newsroom is an enterprise journalism collaboration that includes Iowa Public Radio, KCUR, Nebraska Public Media, St. Louis Public Radio and NPR. There are many ways you can contact us with story ideas and leads, and you can find that information here. The Midwest Newsroom is a partner of The Trust Project. We invite you to review our ethics and practices here.
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