Medicaid Unwinding in Nebraska: What You Need to Know If You Lose Coverage

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 in January 2020, which was renewed a dozen times through February 2023. 

During the COVID PHE, Medicaid enrollees were able to keep their health insurance coverage without eligibility reviews. That’s because states and territories were required to provide continuous coverage during this period. 

The PHE will end on May 11, 2023, along with automatic renewals for Medicaid enrollees. Over the next year, 40,000 to 80,000 people in Nebraska may lose Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage, according to state officials.

Promotional Disclosureinfo_outlined

SPECIAL OFFER

Prescription Savings Are Just the Beginning

See what other benefits you qualify for—from cashback cards to cheaper insurance.

Unlock Savings

Nebraska is reviewing Medicaid and CHIP enrollees to determine who is eligible for coverage. This process is called redetermination. If you or your family members no longer qualify for Medicaid or CHIP, you could lose coverage as early as May 1, 2023.

Here’s how to prepare for Medicaid changes in Nebraska and what to do if you lose your coverage.

Why is Medicaid changing nationwide?

After the PHE ends, COVID-19 will remain a public health priority — just not an emergency. As part of this process, Medicaid renewals will no longer be automatic. This is being referred to as the unwinding of Medicaid, and millions of people nationwide risk losing coverage.

The unwinding will affect Medicaid in every state, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. 

What’s happening with Medicaid renewal in Nebraska?

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is the state agency responsible for overseeing Nebraska Medicaid. The Nebraska DHHS has made the state’s redetermination plan available for residents who want to know more about how Nebraska intends to handle Medicaid’s unwinding.

The DHHS predicts that as many as 80,000 people in Nebraska could lose Medicaid or CHIP coverage due to the unwinding. 

Read more like this

Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.

Medicaid Unwinding in Alaska: What You Need to Know If You Lose Coverage

Medicaid Unwinding in Vermont: What You Need to Know If You Lose Coverage

Medicaid Unwinding in New Mexico: What You Need to Know If You Lose Coverage

Medicaid Unwinding in D.C.: What You Need to Know If You Lose Coverage

View more

It’s important that the DHHS has your correct contact information if you’re enrolled in Medicaid in the state. You can confirm or update your contact information — mailing address, phone number, and email — and report any recent changes to your income or household size by:

• Visiting your ACCESSNebraska account online

• Sending an email to DHHS.ANDICenter@nebraska.gov

• Faxing your new information to 402-742-2351

• Calling ACCESSNebraska at 402-595-1178 in Omaha, 402-473-7000 in Lincoln, and toll-free from all locations at 1-855-632-7633.

Nebraska began reviewing renewals in March 2023 and will continue the process until April 2024. The state is projected to complete more than 390,000 renewal reviews during this time. In informational material about the state’s unwinding process, the Nebraska DHHS has stated that “Nebraska Medicaid’s aim is to prevent unnecessary loss of coverage.”

The state has launched an outreach campaign about renewal reviews, with reminders that may reach you via:

• Mail

• Text message

• Email

• Social media

• News media and paid media

• Public service announcements (PSAs)

• Resources from community partners and healthcare providers

Nebraska has enough information to automatically renew some Medicaid enrollees who are known to have no change in address or income, such as long-term nursing home residents. For others, the renewal process has started. 

Renewal forms will be mailed up to 60 days before their completion deadlines. And every person in a household that is enrolled in Medicaid will be notified about their eligibility. 

In general, you can expect your renewal month to be the month you first had access to Medicaid. If you created an ACCESSNebraska account to manage your benefits, you can see your renewal date by logging in and selecting “Medicaid Renewal.” If you have signed up for them, you will receive text message and email reminders when your renewal form is sent in the mail and before the due date.

If you need to reach the Nebraska Medicaid office by phone, call 1-855-632-7633.

Tribal health and Medicaid unwinding 

Nebraska Medicaid liaisons are working to reach people who are enrolled in Medicaid and who are also members of or affiliated with Native American tribes. The National Indian Health Board estimates that as many as 236,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives could lose coverage during the unwinding process. Advocates are working to ensure eligible individuals in these groups keep their Medicaid coverage.

What should I do if I lose my Medicaid coverage in Nebraska?

If Nebraska doesn’t renew your Medicaid coverage during the redetermination process, you will no longer be able to use your benefits, which could leave you temporarily uninsured. 

If you lose Medicaid benefits because your renewal wasn’t completed in time, you will have 90 days from when your coverage ends to complete your renewal forms with the DHHS. Your Medicaid coverage will then start again if you are still eligible and you won’t have to reapply. 

The DHHS aims to have all Medicaid eligibility reviews completed by April 2024. In order to receive Medicaid in Nebraska, you must meet the following criteria:

• You are a Nebraska resident.

• You are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or legal resident.

• You need assistance with access to healthcare or insurance coverage.

• Your annual household income before taxes are withheld meets the limit for your household size.

And you must be one of the following:

• Pregnant

• In charge of caring for a child who is 18 years old or younger

• Blind

• 65 years old or older (under certain conditions)

• Person with a disability or a household member who has a qualifying disability

If you lose coverage but believe you still qualify, you should reapply for Medicaid in Nebraska. You also have the right to appeal your coverage decision. You can do this by requesting a fair hearing with the DHHS. 

You may be uninsured for a while if you reapply for Medicaid and need to wait to be approved again. In that case, you may want to look into free and low-cost healthcare options. You can also use free GoodRx coupons to save on your prescription medications.

Or if you don’t plan to reapply for Medicaid and aren’t eligible for another government healthcare program, you should see if you qualify for coverage elsewhere. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to find health insurance through one of these options:

• Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace: Through the ACA exchange, you may be able to find coverage for $10 or less per month if you qualify for a premium subsidy. If you lose your Medicaid coverage, you’ll be able to get an ACA plan during an unwinding special enrollment period from March 31, 2023 to July 31, 2024. During this time, you can purchase an insurance plan on the ACA marketplace.

• Employer plan: You may want to take advantage of employer-sponsored healthcare if you have a job that offers health insurance benefits.

• Medicare: If you have a qualifying disability or condition — such as end-stage renal disease or ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease — you can enroll in Medicare at any age.

• Partner’s plan: If you have a spouse or domestic partner who has insurance, you may be able to join their plan during an open enrollment or special enrollment period.

• Special plans: Short-term insurance can be a great choice if you anticipate a better option, like job-based health insurance, to be available soon. You may also consider alternative and limited-benefit plans, such as fixed indemnity, accident, cost-sharing, and catastrophic insurance plans.

• Student health plan: If you’re enrolled in a college or university, you may be eligible for a campus health plan.

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): If you are an active-duty service member or a veteran, you may qualify for TRICARE coverage or VA benefits and services.

Nebraska Medicaid resources

Here are some sites where you can learn more about Medicaid in Nebraska and upcoming changes related to the end of the PHE: 

• Nebraska Medicaid office: The Nebraska DHHS oversees Medicaid in Nebraska.

• Nebraska Medicaid managed care: Most people in Nebraska who are enrolled in Medicaid receive services through Heritage Health.

• Nebraska Medicaid self-service portal: You can log in to your Medicaid account 24/7 through ACCESSNebraska to confirm or update your contact information and learn more about Medicaid and CHIP renewal. But note that the state is transforming ACCESSNebraska into a new comprehensive portal called iServe Nebraska.

• Nebraska Medicaid redetermination: This resource from the DHHS provides information about the Nebraska Medicaid redetermination plan.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Lorraine Roberte

Lorraine has been writing in-depth insurance and personal finance content for 3 years. She has written hundreds of articles on these topics, with her work appearing on such sites as the Balance, the Simple Dollar, ConsumerAffairs, and I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

Edited by:

Cindy George, MPH

Cindy George is the senior personal finance editor at GoodRx. She is an endlessly curious health journalist and digital storyteller.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts