A Look at the High Unemployment Hardship Exception to Medicaid Work Requirements Based on Unemployment Data from February 2025 to January 2026 www.kff.org/medicaid/a-l...

A very informative blog from my colleagues Adriana Kohler and Jade Little about state outreach materials so far on Medicaid work reporting requirements for consumers. Nebraska and Montana the two early adopters do not inspire confidence. ccf.georgetown.edu/2026/05/07/w...

Across the U.S., hospitals and patient advocates are looking to state lawmakers and local officials to help shore up shaky finances. California lawmakers are mulling another $300 million in interest-free loans for troubled hospitals. Pennsylvania and Illinois are weighing similar programs.

Nice series on how North Carolina is preparing to implement Medicaid work requirements & educate enrollees: Part 1 www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2026/04/29/m... Part 2 www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2026/04/30/m... Part 3 will be published on Monday #Medicaid #WorkRequirements

New Medicaid work requirements -- which go into effect by January 1 -- will play out differently across the country. Many states are looking to ease the effects on people where possible, but some are taking more restrictive approaches.

"Nebraska on Friday will become the first state to enforce work, volunteer or education requirements for new Medicaid applicants, eight months before the federally mandated requirements kick in."

State variation in Medicaid can be a plus, but in the context of HR 1/OBBBA it may lead to stricter requirements in some places kffhealthnews.org/news/article... #Medicaid #WorkRequirements #healthpolicy

Great wide ranging conversation about Medicaid from @jamahealthforum.com edhub.ama-assn.org/jn-learning/... #Medicaid #healthpolicy

New piece in Health Affairs highlights the importance of notices with clear language as states move forward in implementing #Medicaid work requirements www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore... #healthpolicy

A helpful overview of the "Emmy" consent-based verification tool that CMS is piloting with states as they work to implement Medicaid work requirements, and the companion "Emmy API" to streamline access to certain data sources:

Not only is NE first out of the gate, its gov't plans to do it w/out hiring any add'l staff, even as other states prepare to bring aboard dozens if not hundreds of new employees to determine who should remain enrolled & who should be booted from Medicaid politico.com/news/2026/04... #Medicaid

Many states are in session navigating budgets for the upcoming fiscal year amid more tenuous fiscal conditions and major federal changes to #Medicaid. While debate continues, here is a look at some key issues we are watching as debate unfolds: www.kff.org/medicaid/med...

"Medicaid is the largest payer of opioid use disorder treatment, and in 2023 it covered nearly half of all non-elderly adults in the U.S. with opioid use disorder in 2023" #Medicaid #OUD #healthpolicy

Pending questions: Will CMS grant “good faith” waivers permitting states to delay implementation when severe or unexpected challenges arise? Will we have consistent data to track the work requirement rollout? 80million.substack.com/p/the-clock-... #Medicaid #WorkRequirements #OBBBA #HR1

In Missouri, farm bureau plans don’t cover any preexisting medical conditions for at least six months. People with diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart problems may be turned down or have to pay out-of-pocket for years. More states are allowing health coverage through these types of plans.

ID said it has 40 eligibility worker vacancies. NY estimated it will need 80 new employees. PA said it has nearly 400 open positions. IN's Medicaid agency has 94 open positions. ME wants to hire 90 additional staffers, & MA wants to hire 70 more. kffhealthnews.org/news/article... #Medicaid

States are rolling out plans for their share of a $50 billion fund established by Congress to improve rural health care. In some states, the money may provoke rural hospitals to cut services. n.pr/4bOT4zC

New @urbaninstitute.bsky.social estimates of two H.R. 1 cuts targeting #Medicaid expansion: work reporting requirements & 6 month renewals. Depending on state mitigation, expansion enrollment falls 5 to 10 million (27-55%) in 2028 compared to 18 million under prior law. www.urban.org/research/pub...

Another look at GA as an example of what could happen with the HR1/OBBBA work requirement: But of the 240,000 eligible for the program, only 8,077 were enrolled. Some did not meet the work requirements but others, like Seaborn, got caught up in red tape. www.governing.com/health/medic... #Medicaid

This brief outlines state strategies to build essential Medicare capacity — helping Medicaid programs respond to federal rules, onboard new staff, & adapt integration efforts as the Medicare landscape evolves. bit.ly/47zf1Bt

Middle-aged adults faced some of the steepest increases in Obamacare premium payments this year. Some are skipping care until they’re old enough for Medicare. “Medicare is going to have to spend a whole heck of a lot of money covering and dealing with their treatment,” said one expert.

Member engagement is critical as states design new Medicaid work requirements. CHCS’ new collaborative, with support from the @commonwealthfund.org, will help states elevate member voices and reduce unintended coverage loss. Learn more and apply: bit.ly/4lAtD9F #Medicaid #WorkRequirement

Oversight strengthens public programs when precise & collaborative. When blunt, it risks destabilizing programs such as #Medicaid HCBS—the very system that bipartisan policy has spent decades building—& harming disabled & aging people whose lives depend on HCBS. www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...

When benefits are cut and patients don’t realize it, they risk unexpected out-of-pocket costs. In addition, when benefits expand and they again don’t realize it, the policy can’t deliver on its promise of enhanced access to services. #Medicaid #Dental www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2026/bi...

Many states must adopt Medicaid work requirements by January under Trump's Big Beautiful Bill. That's not required in Florida, but lawmakers there are proposing the work requirements anyway. The move baffles health care advocates. Some doubt it’s even legal.

Many cities send teams of mental health professionals to respond to calls for people experiencing delusions or hallucinations instead of police. But without consistent sources of funding, some mobile crisis teams are shutting down despite their successes. Can states step in?

Stephanie Walters doesn’t know what she will do if Idaho stops funding home care for her daughter... But because of steep cuts to #Medicaid from Donald Trump’s signature policy measure, state officials are considering the unthinkable. 19thnews.org/2026/03/idah... #healthpolicy #OBBBA

CMS recently released #Medicaid provider-level data suggesting that it could be used to identify fraud. Important read from @alicelburns.bsky.social & @robinr.bsky.social @kff.org about the limitations of the data and how it can be misused: www.kff.org/medicaid/wha...

We heard a lot from GOP leaders last year that Medicaid work reporting requirements were designed to get 29 yr old men "off their couches." The reality will be quite different with many older women age 50-64 at risk of losing their health insurance. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

HR 1/OBBBA state impacts: The federal gov't has given NC $1.9M to implement the work requirement, but Bush said the state still needs $6.5M to cover “startup costs,” along with $3.3M per quarter for ongoing administrative costs www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2026/01/30/m... #Medicaid #NCleg

When national vaccine recommendations change, coverage can disappear—impacting nearly half of all U.S. children who rely on #Medicaid. See our new blog post to learn why vaccine guidelines matter for children’s health www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2026/ki...

Great opportunity for someone looking for a midlevel position.

ICYMI, check out “State Health Care Cost Commissions: Their Priorities and How States’ Political Leanings, Commercial Hospital Prices, and Medicaid Spending Predict Their Establishment” by Brent Fulton, Dan Arnold, Jordan M. Wolf & Richard Scheffler in The Milbank Quarterly.

Great thread on recent materials published by @georgetownccf.bsky.social. If you are interested in all things #Medicaid, children and families, you should follow Georgetown CCF and individual accounts like @joanalker1.bsky.social to stay up to date

FYI - New @nhelp.bsky.social resource for those tracking HR 1/OBBBA #Medicaid work requirement implementation

New resource from @ncslorg.bsky.social for state legislators and those who support them on leg strategies for addressing the #Medicaid budget. Great resource as budget season begins & leg members understand new admin costs of HR 1/OBBBA www.ncsl.org/health/the-m...

New Health Affairs piece considers data states could use to inform how they identify individuals with "serious or complex medical conditions" who should be exempt from HR 1/OBBBA #Medicaid work requirements #healthpolicy www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...

🚨BREAKING NEWS - MAJOR MEDICAID VICTORY IN FLORIDA: Federal Court Orders Florida Medicaid to Halt Terminations and Reform “Incomprehensible” Notices After Finding Constitutional Violations. Learn more about the case and our advocacy with @flhealthjustice.bsky.social!

"Unwinding had measurable impacts on patient access to prescription medications, but states that implemented protective policies were able to mitigate these changes." #healthpolicy #Medicaid

As many rural areas face worsening maternity care deserts, some physicians fear abortion laws could drive much-needed doctors out of state and dissuade others from moving in and establishing a practice. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Bright spots in rural communities illuminate ways to expand primary care. From mobile clinics and telehealth to community health workers, smart investments and rural-specific solutions can help make sure your zip code doesn't determine the care you get. bit.ly/44B2YlJ

It's a new year and the work continues. ICYMI - here's an explainer of the provider tax changes in HR 1/OBBBA www.commonwealthfund.org/publications...

Looks like Nebraska will be the state to watch as they rush to implement #Medicaid work requirements in 2026, with community engagement set to become part of the enrollment and renewal criteria in May. www.1011now.com/2025/12/17/n...

Who decides whether someone is considered medically frail under #Medicaid? As work requirements approach, a new analysis explains why state-level definitions will matter for access to coverage www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2025/ho... #healthpolicy

I agree that there didn't seem to be much in today's CIB, and, with formal guidance coming in June 2026, states really have their work cut out for them in order to start educating #Medicaid enrollees by September 2026 at the latest. www.medicaid.gov/federal-poli...

Once again KFF has a a great tracker that you should bookmark if you're interested in #Medicaid work requirements: www.kff.org/medicaid/med...

More than a yr ago, for example, a federal judge ruled that Missouri’s food aid system was “overwhelmed,” had wrongly denied assistance to applicants, & had caused many to go hungry as a “direct result of the system’s inadequacy.” #SNAP www.governing.com/policy/new-w...

⭐️ CHPC Associate Center Director Dr. William Schpero did a short video feature for the American Journal of Managed Care: "Work Requirements, Expiration of Subsidies Will Leave Millions Without Insurance." 📹 Watch here:

New analysis on rural primary care finds: 🏥 Demand for rural primary care physicians is projected to exceed supply by 2037 🚑 Nearly 1 in 4 rural adults used the ER for needs that could be treated in primary care 💻 Only 19% received primary care via telehealth, compared to 29% nationally Details ⤵️

Much of the implementation discussions of HR 1/OBBA have centered on work requirements & other #Medicaid expansion provisions. A new brief from @clasp.org discusses how nonexpansion states will be impacted by HR 1/OBBA www.clasp.org/publications... #healthpolicy