LINCOLN — Nebraska stepped Wednesday toward becoming the first state in the country to start its implementation of new federal work requirements for Medicaid health insurance recipients beginning May 1 of the new year. Gov. Jim Pillen, joined on Zoom by Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz and in person by state health officials, rolled out the state’s plans for the new federal requirement as a “hand up and not a hand out.”

“We’re not here to take everybody to the curb … [but] making sure we get every able-bodied Nebraskan to be part of our community,” Pillen said. State health officials said the new requirements apply to work-eligible adults in the Medicaid expansion population aged 19 to 64. Those Medicaid recipients will be required to work at least 80 hours a month or be enrolled in school at least half-time to receive or keep health coverage.

Steve Corsi, Director of Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human services, said people will begin receive notice of the new requirements by Jan. 1, and the agency is working on details on how it will track work status.

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