Nebraska launches the first U.S. Medicaid work requirements rollout

Nebraska becomes the first state to enact Medicaid work requirements for expansion enrollees (ages 19–64), mandating at least 80 hours of work or community service per month (or part-time student status) with exemptions for medical issues, pregnancy, and caregivers. About 70,000 Nebraskans are on expansion; roughly 25,000 could lose coverage or face paperwork hurdles. Other states plan to follow, federal guidance on defining “medically frail” is pending, and past rollouts in Arkansas and Georgia suggest the policy could reduce coverage and face implementation challenges.