This story was originally produced by the Concord Monitor. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
Almost 48,000 New Hampshire residents who get health insurance through the state’s Medicaid expansion program will have to meet new rules about working or having “community engagement” next year, and the state wants to make sure they’re not taken by surprise.
“The Department is working to ensure that people are aware of what is needed to be eligible for or retain their Granite Advantage Medicaid coverage,” said Kathy Remillard, deputy communications director for the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is beginning to roll out what it calls an early engagement campaign and will make a number of other efforts in coming weeks.
After Jan. 1, 2027, people between ages 19 and 64 who get Medicaid through Granite Advantage, the state-run Medicaid expansion program, must amass 80 hours of paid work or community engagement activities every month.
The change is being instituted by the Trump administration as part of its overall reduction of public health insurance programs.
As of July 1, the state said, 47,571 New Hampshire residents covered by Granite Advantage will be subject to new rules upon their first Medicaid redetermination in 2027.
Specifics are being developed about who is exempt — including pregnant women, former foster youths, certain military veterans and people who are “medically exempt” — and what constitutes a job or community engagement, along with a system for reporting the information to the government.
The state agency’s website says, “DHHS is waiting for final guidance from the federal government on further details.”
“The majority of Granite Advantage members are currently employed. We are sharing relevant information with Medicaid providers, community organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure Granite Advantage members know how they can meet and report work and community engagement requirements if they do not qualify for an exemption,” said Henry Lipman, the state agency’s Medicaid director.