***For Immediate Release***
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Contact: Sierra Salgado Pirigyi
Communications Director, Nebraska Appleseed
Office: (402) 438-8853 ext 116
RELEASE: New Federal Rule Upends Nebraska’s Decision to Implement Medicaid Work Reporting Requirements Early
Nebraska Must Press Pause on Implementing Medicaid Work Requirements
LINCOLN, NE – Late yesterday afternoon, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) released the interim final rule directing states on how to implement the Medicaid expansion work reporting requirements. Nebraska’s misguided decision to implement work requirements before this rule was released – eight months before required by law – is already causing mass chaos and confusion as people try to get the health coverage they need. Nebraskans are experiencing the impacts – from long call wait times, disconnections, and subpar language services at call centers to unsupported and undertrained caseworkers who cannot answer questions or provide correct information.
This new federal rule adds more punitive and burdensome restrictions to Medicaid beyond what Nebraska has implemented and what other states are planning across the country. For example, the rule will require people with serious medical needs and disabilities to prove their condition makes them unable to work in order to qualify for an exemption – a major new restriction that Nebraska has not implemented and that goes beyond the federal law. This restriction directly targets people with disabilities, mental health conditions, and medical needs like cancer and HIV – hurting Nebraskans who need health care most.
These developments put coverage and care for more Nebraskans at risk and raise questions about whether and how the state will need to overhaul its work requirements to add these onerous changes. Ultimately, yesterday’s developments underscore that Nebraska’s decision to implement work requirements early guaranteed more confusion, chaos, and barriers for people who count on Medicaid.
Nebraska Appleseed Health Care Access Program Director Sarah Maresh issued the following statement in response:
“This federal rule adds major and punitive new restrictions that will directly hurt Nebraskans, especially those with serious medical needs and disabilities. Nebraskans were already confused, scared, and at risk of unnecessarily and inappropriately losing their health care because of Governor Pillen’s hasty decision to implement work reporting requirements early – despite our state’s lack of investment, rushed decision making, unclear rules, and insufficient outreach. This makes matters much worse. This rule is punitive, legally-suspect, and has thrown Nebraska’s Medicaid program into chaos. Nebraska must press pause on the work reporting requirements and join the rest of the states who will implement this by the federal deadline in January 2027. People’s lives are on the line. Nebraska must do the right thing to ensure our neighbors and families can access care.”
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