One of our community’s biggest challenges during this transition will be having enough capacity to assist individuals. To help address this, Community Health Care and Project NOW are hosting several “train the trainer” sessions. Participants will learn how to complete a Medicaid application and use the coalition’s benefit referral framework. We strongly encourage each agency to send at least one staff member to help build regional capacity and share their knowledge with the rest of your team. You can sign up for one of these sessions below.
Medicaid work requirements are changing in Iowa and Illinois. This information can help you navigate situations where an individual is having difficulty maintaining Medicaid or state health insurance coverage or has recently lost their benefits.
Individuals may refer to their health insurance under one of the following names:
If you are unable to assist someone with their coverage issue in real time, use the step-by-step resources below to help determine what they need to do next.
Medicaid is a critical resource that provides families with access to health care they otherwise might not have. Due to changes resulting from HR1, some individuals in the Medicaid expansion population will now be required to provide proof of work or “community engagement” activities to maintain their benefits. The Medicaid expansion population generally includes adults age 19–64 with incomes below the applicable income limit.
Overview
Federal changes to Medicaid are coming, with look back periods that could reach into September, 2026 in Iowa, and October 2026 in Illinois.
The biggest changes are work and service requirements, which will require individuals in the Medicaid expansion population to do any mix of the following for at least 80 hours a month, or earn $580 per month:
It is not yet clear how individuals will be expected to track and report their compliance with these requirements to either state.
Exemptions from these work requirements include:
If you are working with an individual who needs assistance with Medicaid, please track that interaction in the tracker below, and utilize the workflow on this sheet to ensure they are referred to the best, most efficient assistance source. Data tracking ensures that we have an accurate picture of the impact of Medicaid coverage changes.
If you are working with an individual who needs assistance with Medicaid, please track that interaction in the tracker below, and utilize the workflow on this sheet to ensure they are referred to the best, most efficient assistance source. Data tracking ensures that we have an accurate picture of the impact of Medicaid coverage changes.
Together we can reduce the disruption coming as a result of these changes!
