Montana Starts Medicaid Work Rules, Hiring Dozens as 2nd State to Act Before 2027
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 1
Montana Starts Medicaid Work Rules, Hiring Dozens as 2nd State to Act Before 2027
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jul 1
Summary
Montana on Wednesday became the second state to implement Medicaid work requirements, months before the 2027 federal deadline, and said no one will lose coverage until at least October.
Dozens of new state workers are being hired to manage the rollout and decide which low-income residents stay insured, unlike Nebraska, which began in May without adding staff.
Advocacy groups warned the system could strip coverage from eligible people who cannot navigate reporting and verification requirements, with rural providers already bracing for confusion.
A lawsuit from 25 states and Washington, D.C. is also clouding the rollout, challenging a Trump administration rule requiring people with cancer and other chronic illnesses to prove they cannot work to qualify for exemptions.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said the coalition wants emergency court action within weeks, arguing the late CMS change could harm seriously ill patients and waste millions already spent by states on compliance.