LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Thousands of Nebraskans are bracing for an impact on their health insurance.
Nebraska Appleseed is sounding the alarm about the new Medicaid work requirement expansion, leaving little clarity for those affected.
“We’re extremely nervous that we’re going to have tens of thousands of Nebraskans unnecessarily losing coverage,” said Sarah Maresh, the Health Care Access Program Director at Nebraska Appleseed.
SEE ALSO: Nebraska becomes first state to pursue Medicaid work requirements
The new requirements are set to go into effect on May 1, but some say the state is keeping them in the dark.
Governor Jim Pillen announced the changes in December, making Nebraska the first state to pursue the new Medicaid work requirements.
“There are 70,000 Nebraskans who still don’t have basic information about how the new work requirements will operate,” said Maresh. “We don’t even know for sure when people will start losing coverage; we’re still waiting for that information from the state. One other big piece of information we’re missing is we don’t know who will be considered medically frail and exempt from the work requirements.”
According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the work requirement activities include working, attending school or an apprenticeship, participating in a work program or volunteering.
DHHS also has a list of those who are exempt, but there may be others who apply.
For Schmeeka Simpson, who is on Medicaid and works multiple jobs, the uncertainty of the future is scary.
“Adding more requirements is going to guarantee that more people are denied,” she said. “More people are going to be denied the healthcare that they need to be productive citizens. I feel that we should be making pathways easier for people to be healthy in Nebraska.”
Nebraska Appleseed said it expects 54,000 more Nebraskans to lose their insurance due to the changes.
And they say it will cause a ripple effect, impacting Nebraska’s economy.
“We could also see things like longer wait times in the emergency room, which will affect us all,” said Maresh. “Because providers are taking that additional financial hit because we’re losing so much investment of federal funds that support our health system, providers also may have to think about closing or cutting services.”
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