New York is taking steps to exempt Medicaid members in the Bronx from new federal work requirements because of the county’s high unemployment rate, the New York State Department of Health said in a statement to Becker’s.
Under HR 1, Medicaid members are exempt from the requirements if they live in a county with an unemployment rate at or above 8% or 1.5 times the national rate, whichever is lower. The Bronx is currently the only county in New York that meets that standard, according to the state.
The state has notified CMS of its plan to apply the exception in the Bronx, where about 200,000 residents would otherwise have been subject to the rules, state health officials said during an Oct. 7 briefing hosted by the United Hospital Fund, Politico reported.
Starting Jan. 1, some adults ages 19-64 will need to show they are working, in school, in job training or volunteering to keep Medicaid coverage, according to the state’s website, which also lists other exemptions.
