From our partners at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing:
As part of our ongoing efforts to assist you with implementation of H.R. 1, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s Policy and Advocacy Team is preparing a series of white papers on several of the bill’s Medicaid provisions. The first in this series is, “H.R. 1 and the Impact of Medicaid Work Requirements.”
H.R. 1 introduces significant changes to Medicaid, including new community engagement (work) requirements for Medicaid expansion enrollees. With implementation beginning in most states on Jan. 1, 2027, and state systems under pressure, we wanted to equip you with a clear, practical resource for navigating the new requirements.
“H.R. 1 and the Impact of Medicaid Work Requirements” provides background information on the requirements delineated in H.R. 1, lessons learned from previous work requirement implementation efforts by several states, and recommendations for clinics and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on best practices for implementation.
We recognize that many of your organizations serve people who are most directly affected by these changes, including people living with mental health and substance use challenges who may qualify for exemptions under the law. While we await work requirements guidance from CMS, our goal is to make sure you have the most up-to-date information and tools available to help protect continuity of care for your clients.
We hope this white paper serves as a helpful resource as you plan for implementation. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via email with any questions related to this resource or any other issues regarding H.R. 1.
